El Rancho Chopped Salad with Cornbread Croutons and Creamy Poblano Dressing
My dear friend Paula Disbrowe, cookbook author, chef, and general partner in cooking, partying, and eating, created this recipe. She says, “Don’t be fooled by the term salad. This gigantic tumble of ingredients creates an incredibly satisfying meal, with big, bold flavors that will satisfy friends and ranch hands alike. Be sure to remove any wilted or bruised outer leaves from the head of romaine, so you only use the crisp, sweet inner leaves in your salad.” This salad calls for jalapeño cornbread croutons (page 241). Bake them up first and let them cool while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8
Ingredients
Creamy Poblano Dressing
Salad
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE DRESSING: Roast the poblano chile with a kitchen torch, over a gas burner, or under an oven broiler until evenly charred. Using an oven mitt, place the pepper in a bag, close the opening, and let the pepper steam for at least 10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bag and peel off the skin, which should slide off easily. In the jar of a blender or the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the poblano, cilantro, lime juice, green onions, garlic, mayonnaise, and buttermilk until smooth. Season with salt and more lime juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE SALAD: Have a plate lined with paper towels ready. Heat a grill or grill pan medium-hot. Heat the olive oil in a skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and the pieces are browned but still somewhat chewy, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to the prepared plate.
Step 3
When the grill is hot, grill the corn, turning with tongs for even cooking, until the kernels are tender and just starting to release their milk, about 8 minutes. Remove the husks and trim the kernels from the cob with a paring knife; set aside.
Step 4
Halve the cornbread. Set half aside. Cut the remaining half into 2 equal pieces and grill them until they are crisp and toasted on both sides, 6 to 7 minutes total; set aside to cool. When the cornbread has cooled, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Cover the remaining cornbread with plastic wrap and freeze for making croutons the next time you make the salad.
Step 5
Combine the lettuce, avocado, celery, green onions, tomatoes, bacon, and corn kernels in a large salad bowl. Drizzle the salad with dressing and toss well to evenly coat the ingredients. Garnish the tossed salad with the cornbread croutons and grated Cotija cheese.
do it early
Step 6
The dressing can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The cornbread croutons can be made up to 3 days in advance and kept in an airtight container until ready to use. In fact, Paula points out that day-old cornbread makes the best croutons. The salad should be made the day it is to be served. Toss with the dressing just before serving.
