From Chef Charlie Palmer

Recipe Serves: 4

Ingredients for the Dressing

• 1/2 canned chipotle chile
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives

Ingredients for the Salad

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, quartered
• 1/2 small red onion, shaved thin on a mandoline
• 8 slices bacon, rendered crisp
• 1 unpeeled green apple, julienned
• 2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters

Recipe Instructions

To prepare the dressing

In a food processor, process the chipotle with the lemon juice until the chile is finely chopped. With the processor running, drizzle in the vegetable oil and continue to process until smooth. Add the buttermilk and sour cream and process to blend. Scrape the dressing into a bowl and fold in the blue cheese and chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

To prepare the salad

Place a wedge of lettuce on each chilled salad plate. Drizzle the dressing over the lettuce and around the plate. Scatter onion rings over the lettuce and add two strips of bacon to each serving. Scatter apple slices over the salads. Garnish each plate with two egg quarters and finish with a crack of black pepper.