Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons

Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons
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Once upon a time, the wedge salad was considered a relic—a cringeworthy nod to the much-maligned mid-century American dining scene. But as with most things old and outdated, the wedge salad found new life during the vintage-loving aughts. It was resurrected alongside a slew of hip steak houses, dusted off for Mad-Men-themed parties, and now it has finally settled down as a menu mainstay. And for good reason, a wedge of iceberg is truly a blank slate. Chefs and cooks can’t seem to resist the endless possibility of this admittedly angular base. And I am no exception. Today’s Dill Caesar Wedge Salad is my own little riff. It’s part caesar, part wedge, and part small child let loose on a salad bar. And you know what? That is precisely the kind of energy I want to see in the world. So let’s make this potato chip spackled beast!

Thinly slices shallots on a cutting board.

When I was a very little kid, iceberg lettuce reigned supreme. My earliest salads consisted of its crisp leaves practically waterlogged in Thousand Island dressing alongside a tomato wedge or two.  But as the years wore on, iceberg was dethroned and disgraced. It was branded as uninteresting and lacking in nutrition. By the time I was a teenager, I never saw the stuff in our fridge. Sure, we’d have it on takeout burgers where our topping choices were out of our control. But when we had full dominion over our leafy green choices, romaine, green leaf, or red leaf won the day. So iceberg slipped out of my imagination. I never really thought about it until I fell for the wedge.

Egg yolk, anchovy, salt, garlic, and lemon juice in a bowl.

Now, I’m not entirely sure when I became aware of the wedge salad. It’s one of those dishes that you just know without ever really having it. Like Oysters Rockefeller or Lobster Thermidor. I knew the wedge as a retro throwback – a relic of 1950s fine dining. And somehow I knew that without knowing anything about fine dining in the 1950s. I guess it was just whispered on the wind or something.

Whisking canola oil into caesar dressing

I ordered my first wedge salad when I was 20. A blind order at the rotating restaurant at the top of Calgary Tower. The place was a total tourist trap but we were playing tourist, so I gave myself over to the cheese of it all. When the salad arrived I had nothing to compare it to. I’m almost positive it wasn’t a fabulous representation of its species but I was smitten. I finally understood where iceberg lettuce belonged and it was in this salad. 

A pile of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top of a bowl of caesar dressing.

From that fateful bite to today, I have learned a lot. I now know why iceberg lettuce worked so well in that salad. It’s all about contrast. Iceberg is mostly water, it doesn’t bring a lot to the table flavor-wise. It’s a textural experience. So yes, it gives dishes their crunch but it also gives the palette a place to land and, well, regroup. Think of the toppings you find on a wedge salad. Blue cheese, bacon, the punch of red wine vinegar – these are intense even abrasive ingredients. A palette cleanser between bites is necessary and iceberg lettuce is happy to oblige.

Caesar salad dressing in a glass ready to be stored in the fridge.

Today’s Dill Caesar Wedge Salad doesn’t have blue cheese dressing but it does have the equally pungent Caesar dressing. Anchovies, garlic, oil, egg yolk, and parm. None of these ingredients are shrinking violets. This salad also boasts bits of bacon, punchy pickled shallots, a ton of fresh dill, and piece de resistance – crushed potato chips. Ruffles to be exact. There are a lot of heavy hitters here, so yes, the iceberg is warranted. 

The first thing we’re going to do is pickle some shallots. Now, this is a very light pickle as in we’re going to thinly slice a shallot and cover it with lemon juice and leave it to pickle. It’ll turn hot pink and increase in punchiness but it will still be relatively mild. And while that light pickling is underway, we’re going to crisp some bacon in the oven, so it’s out of the way until we need it. 

Strips of bacon on a baking sheet ready for the oven.

Next, we’re going to tackle the Caesar dressing. I did mine by hand, you do not have to follow suit. I’ve had a lot of success making Caesar dressings with an immersion blender. But having said that, I don’t think making Caesar dressing by hand is all that hard. I think people make it out to be a lot scarier than it is. Just keep the faith and keep whisking and your emulsion will form. Trust me.

A head of iceberg lettuce cut in half on a cutting board.

Once the dressing is done, store it in the fridge. Not only will this give the flavors a chance to meld, but it will also thicken the dressing, which will make it easier to drape on our wedge. If your dressing is too runny, it will just run off the lettuce and pool around the base. There is a certain amount of culinary engineering to consider when constructing a wedge salad. 

Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons

When you’re ready to assemble your salad, cut a head iceberg into four wedges. Make sure each wedge has an intact core or the leaves will separate and go all over the place. I like to balance my wedges on a slice of lemon to keep them upright. This is purely for aesthetic purposes, so if you don’t care, you can skip this step. Spoon the dressing onto the wedge. Concentrate on getting the dressing on the edge of the wedge, it will run down the sides ensuring fairly even coverage. Use the dressing as the glue to stick the bacon pieces, pickles shallots, fresh dill, and crushed potato chips to the wedge. And finally, finish your masterpiece with a shaving of cured egg yolks. You can find a video tutorial on how to make them here!

And that’s everything you need to know about this Dill Caesar Wedge Salad. It’s a playful, full-flavored starter that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Enjoy!

Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons

Dill Caesar Wedge Salad with Potato Chip Croutons

This Dill Caesar Wedge Salad features a slice of iceberg dressed with a classic Caesar dressing and topped with bacon, pickled shallots, fresh dill, crushed potato chips, and shredded cured egg yolk.
Prep Time 28 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Salad
Servings 4

Equipment

  • 1 baking sheet

Ingredients
  

  • 4 strips bacon thick-cut
  • 1 shallot thinly sliced
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 egg yolk raw or coddled
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ cup neutral oil
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano shredded
  • 4 lemon wedges
  • 1 head iceberg lettuce quartered
  • ½ cup Ruffles Potato Chips crushed
  • ¼ cup Fresh dill tightly packed, for sprinkling
  • 1 cured egg yolk** optional

Instructions
 

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the bacon on top. Place the bacon in a cold oven and turn it up to 400F. Cook the bacon for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside to drain.
    4 strips bacon
  • Once the bacon is in the oven, place the shallots in a bowl. Cover them with lemon juice and set them aside to pickle. 
    1 shallot, 1 lemon
  • Place the garlic, anchovies, and salt in a large bowl.*** Using a fork mash the three ingredients together to form a loose paste. Add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk to combine.
    1 clove garlic, 2 anchovy fillets, ¼ tsp salt, 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • While whisking constantly, slowly stream in the olive oil followed by the canola oil. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and becomes glossy. 
    1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup neutral oil
  • Fold in the Parmigiano Reggiano and taste. Adjust the seasoning by adding additional salt or lemon juice. Pour the finished dressing into a small bowl and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
    ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Place the lemon wedges onto four plates. Balance an iceberg quarter on each. Spoon the dressing over the wedge and, using scissors, snip the bacon over top. Next, add some of the drained pickled shallots, followed by the crushed potato chips, and fresh dill. Finish with a dusting of shredded cured egg yolk and serve immediately. 
    4 lemon wedges, 1 head iceberg lettuce, ½ cup Ruffles Potato Chips, ¼ cup Fresh dill, 1 cured egg yolk**

Notes

** You can find the recipe for the egg yolks here. And a handy video tutorial here.
*** Use a bowl larger than you think you need. It will give you ample space for whisking.
Keyword anchovies, bacon, iceberg lettuce, shallots

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