Spinach Salad With Roasted Garlic and Bacon Dressing

Submitted by lazyme

"This recipe comes from Chef John Currence of the City Grocery Restaurant in Oxford, MS. The dressing for this salad has a wonderful flavor, but I found it too oily as written. I've left the recipe as he wrote it, but I now skip the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and only add about 1/2 of the oil from the roasted garlic. The flavor is great."

 

• Ready In: 55mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons light molasses
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh tarragon or 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups baby spinach leaves, 6 ounces
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup blue cheese, crumbled

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine 1/4 cup oil and garlic in small baking dish.
3. Cover with foil; bake until garlic is very tender, about 35 minutes.
4. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to work surface and finely chop.
5. Transfer garlic to medium bowl. Reserve roasted garlic oil.
6. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes.
7. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels.
8. Pour drippings into medium bowl.
9. Add vinegar, shallot, mustard, honey, molasses and tarragon and whisk to blend.
10. Add roasted garlic, garlic oil, bacon and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and whisk to blend well.
11. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Place spinach, sliced onion and blue cheese in large bowl.
13. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
14. Serve.

Reviews

[MA HIKER]

A nice way to prepare spinach salad! I too did the less oil option mentioned and it was perfect as is. Thanks for the recipe! ZWT 3

 

[CookingONTheSide]

Everything about this salad is delicious. I also skipped the 3 tablespoons of the oil and 1/2 of the oil from the roasted garlic as you stated in the introduction. I really enjoy the light honey flavor in the dressing. This was so easy to fix, too. Thanks for sharing!