Iceberg Wedge with Gorgonzola Cream, Crispy Pancetta & Fried Shallots

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A coastal-Italian take on the steakhouse wedge: ice-cold iceberg quarters under a chunky gorgonzola dolce cream, showered with rendered pancetta, blistered cherry tomatoes and a tangle of golden fried shallots. Every component is made ahead, so the actual plating takes five minutes and the lettuce never has a chance to wilt.

Ingredients

• 1 large head iceberg lettuce, very fresh and heavy for its size
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 10 oz cherry or Sungold tomatoes, halved
• 1 pinch flaky sea salt
• Coarsely cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp good extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing

• 5 oz Gorgonzola dolce, cold
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp buttermilk, plus more to loosen
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, grated on a microplane
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

• 5 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (or thick-cut bacon)
• 3 large shallots, sliced into thin rings
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
• 1 pinch fine sea salt, for the shallots

Instructions

1. Chill the lettuce first: trim the browned stem end of the iceberg but leave the core intact, then cut the head into 4 wedges through the core. Submerge the wedges in a large bowl of cold water with the ice cubes for 15 minutes — this re-crisps the leaves. Lift out, shake hard, and set cut-side down on a triple layer of paper towels. Refrigerate uncovered while you make everything else (at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours).
2. Render the pancetta: put the diced pancetta in a cold 10-inch skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are deep golden and crisp. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat.
3. Make the gorgonzola cream: crumble the Gorgonzola into a bowl. Mash about two-thirds of it against the side of the bowl with a fork until pasty, leaving the rest in visible chunks. Whisk in the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt and pepper. It should be thick enough to cling to a spoon but pourable — add buttermilk a teaspoon at a time if needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes so it sets up and the garlic mellows.
4. Fry the shallots: toss the shallot rings with the flour in a bowl until lightly coated, then shake off the excess in a sieve. Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan over medium heat to 325°F (a shallot ring should sizzle steadily but not violently). Fry in 2 batches, stirring gently, for 3 to 4 minutes per batch, until pale gold — they darken as they cool, so pull them early. Drain on paper towels and salt immediately. Cool completely; they crisp as they sit.
5. Dress the tomatoes: toss the halved tomatoes with the reserved tablespoon of warm pancetta fat, a pinch of flaky salt and a grind of pepper. Let them sit 10 minutes at room temperature to draw out their juice.
6. Assemble, working quickly: set each cold wedge cut-side up on a chilled plate. Spoon the gorgonzola cream generously over the top and let it run down into the leaves — about 1/4 cup per wedge. Scatter over the tomatoes with their juices, then the crisp pancetta.
7. Finish with a heap of fried shallots, the chives, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, a good crack of black pepper and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve immediately with a steak knife — the wedge should still be cold enough to fog the plate.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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