Wedge Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing

For the dressing

1. Whisk the buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, chives and dill together in a medium bowl.

2. Chop half the bleu cheese small and stir it in, leaving the dressing chunky.

3. Chill the dressing until you assemble.

For the salad

4. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

5. Lay the bacon out on a parchment-lined tray, overlapping slightly if it needs to fit.

6. Bake until deep golden brown and very crisp, 18–25 minutes.

   Then 20 min of waiting

7. Prop one side of the tray up so the fat drains to the edge, and let the bacon cool.

8. Pull any wilted outer leaves off the iceberg and trim the core stem.

9. Cut the lettuce into four equal wedges.

10. Pull the middle 3–4 layers out of each wedge to leave a pocket for the toppings, and trim the backs so they sit flat.

11. Put the wedges on a plate, cover them with a double layer of damp paper towels, and freeze them to crisp, 10–15 minutes.

    Then 10 min of waiting

    Damp towels and a short freeze make the lettuce colder and crisper without freezing it solid.

12. Rinse the diced red onion in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water to take the raw edge off, then drain it well.

    Cold water carries off the harsh sulphur and leaves the crunch.

13. Push the seeds, gel and white pith away from the diced tomato to leave a clean dice.

14. Blot the cooled bacon with paper towels, then chop it into a fine, crisp crumble.

15. Take a chilled wedge from the freezer, set it in a large bowl, and spoon dressing over it, working it into the folds.

16. Top it with tomato, red onion, bacon crumble, chives, dill and crumbled bleu cheese.

17. Spoon a mound of dressing into the middle of a serving plate and smooth it out.

18. Lift the loaded wedge onto the dressing.

19. Build the rest of the wedges the same way and serve at once.