Iceberg Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

• 3 cups 1-inch-cubed crusty white bread
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 pound sliced bacon
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Cayenne pepper
• 1/4 pound blue cheese
• preferably Maytag
• crumbled (3/4 cup)
• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 small red onion
• thinly sliced
• 1 celery rib
• thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. On a baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and toast for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the bread is golden and crisp.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, turning once, until crisp, about 6 minutes.
4. Drain on paper towels and crumble.
5. In a small bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt.
6. Whisk in the mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and mustard.
7. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable oil and season with salt and cayenne.
8. Stir in the blue cheese.
9. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, onion, celery, bacon and croutons with the dressing and serve right away.