No fork needed for these salad bites, which feature many hidden treasures of texture and fall-inspired flavor. They also provide just the right uplifting and fresh complement to the Sage Advice from Shaker & Spoon's Brrr-bon box.

NOTES: We used treviso because its bitter flavor lends a beautifully complex counterpoint to this dish. You can use any spear shaped lettuce you like or even make the dish as a traditional composed salad, rather than a finger food. Most of this recipe can be done in advance; crisping the bacon, toasting the gremolata, and roasting the garlic ahead of time will make this a breeze to put together. 4-6 servings.

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:

1 head of roasted garlic
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt & 1/4 tsp. pepper

 

For the salad & gremolata:

2 heads of Treviso, endive, or romaine hearts
6 strips of crispy bacon
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped 
A small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 large sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
The zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dried cranberries

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash & dry your lettuce spears & arrange them on a platter. Set aside

2. To make the dressing: roast garlic by cutting the top quarter off, drizzling the exposed cloves with olive oil, wrapping loosely in foil, and baking at 375 degrees for about 50 mins or until soft and caramelized. Let the garlic cool. To release the cloves, squeeze the entire garlic bulb into a food processor & blend together with Dijon, mayonnaise, water, red wine vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, & pepper until smooth and creamy

3. To make the gremolata: in a skillet, mix together breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, & chopped herbs and toast on medium heat, stirring frequently until lightly browned & fragrant

4. To assemble: drizzle the dressing first (it acts like a glue for the other ingredients), then scatter chopped bacon, then top with gremolata. Finish with a few dried cranberries on each spear and some extra dressing, if you like. It should look something like this:

 

 

 

 

Stay in touch for more of Hither Lane's tasty bites to complement Shaker & Spoon cocktails!