Grandma Block's
Hot Bacon Salad

Also called Wilted Lettuce Salad

 

Ingredients: 1 head Fresh Salad Greens 1 / 4 lb. (115 grams)diced bacon 1 / 4 lb.(115 grams) onion, chopped 1 /2 cup (115 ml)cider vinegar 1 / 2 cup (115 ml) water 1 / 4 cup (100 grams) sugar Salt and Pepper, if desired. Olive oil , extra if needed printer friendly

“Grandma Block often made this dressing when her children and grandchildren came to visit. When lettuce was plentiful (preferably leaf-lettuce) she would make “Wilted Lettuce.” The dark-green leaves were put into a large bowl to be mixed with the hot dressing, then served in small hand-turned wooden salad bowls that Grandpa Block had made in his workshop. The bowls were stacked, pyramid-style, on the kitchen counter well before dinner-time. When I went through the kitchen on my way to play in the back yard, I would see them there and look forward to that tangy salad. Much later on, when I had my own restaurant, I used the same dressing, modified just a little, as my House Dressing. It was the most-requested recipe I had. I preferred to serve it with Romaine lettuce or fresh raw spinach. It also makes a good dressing for German potato salad.”

 

Directions:

1. Chop bacon still into small chunks, and fry in a large skillet till crispy.
Reserve on a plate. shown above is how I do it. I take the frozen pound of bacon and freeze it. Then I cut across the whole slab in small narrow slices.
This will separate as it cooks

2. In a skillet, fry the bacon until almost crisp.
Often bacon doesn't render much bacon fat so add some good quality vegetable oil to make about 1/4 cup then add the diced onions and cook until the onions are clear. Remove the bacon chunks to a plate.

3. Add water, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes.

4. Here we used a Bronze Leaf Lettuce. I tear the pieces with fingers
instead of cutting with a knife. I find that the salad is fluffier this way.
I prepared this as the dressing was cooking.

5. add half of the dressing and toss. Then add some more to get the
right amount to taste.

6. The salad wilts a little and is a bit soupy but the dressing is so good,
if you are like our family you sop it up with bread or eat the rest like soup.