Recipe: Cool Iceberg Salad with Shrimp and Blue Cheese Dressing

COOL ICEBERG SALAD WITH SHRIMP
AND BLUE CHEESE DRESSING

2 large eggs
1 to 2 heads iceberg lettuce (about 2 to 3 pounds
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
1 pound peeled and cooked medium shrimp
4 green onions
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 to 2 cups croutons

Keep the dressing ingredients, shrimp and lettuce chilled until the last minute. Using yogurt or sour cream will give you a thicker dressing.

Place the eggs in a small saucepan and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and let cool under running water for a few minutes.

Remove the core from the lettuce -- this makes it harder for the wedges to hold together but easier to eat -- or just trim off the end of the core. Cut each head into 4 wedges (cut into eighths if using one large head of iceberg) and place 2 wedges on each dinner plate. Place the plates in the refrigerator.

Combine the buttermilk, mayonnaise and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in the blue cheese and season with pepper.

Remove the tails from the shrimp. Slice the green onions. Pit and peel the avocado, then cut it into wedges. Remove the stems from the tomatoes. Peel the eggs and cut each in half.

Remove the plates from the fridge. Arrange the shrimp and avocado wedges around the iceberg wedges, then drizzle with some of the dressing. Garnish the salads with egg and top with croutons, green onions and cherry tomatoes. Add a few grindings of pepper.

Pass the remaining dressing at the table.

Servings: 4
Source: The San Francisco Chronicle; October 11, 2000