Butter Lettuce with nuts, bacon, cheese, egg and sherry vinaigrette

LAtimes.com 10-19-2011

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 6 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
• salt
• 2 heads butter lettuce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 hard-cooked eggs
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives
• 4 ounces Gorgonzola dulce

1. Vinaigrette: Combine the shallots,2 tablespoons vinegar,1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice,salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the oil in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly to combine. Taste for seasoning.
2. Cook the bacon either in oven or in pan, till it is done but still chewy. Cut each strip into 4 pieces.
3. Scatter the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place them in 325 oven to toast until they are golden brown and fragrant, about 12 to 15 minutes; or can pan toast them. Watch carefully so that they do not burn.
4. Gather nuts into a clean dish towel, after cooling, and rub them together in the towel to remove the skins. Place nuts in a small bowl,drizzle with hazelnut oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and toss to coat with the seasoning.

1. Wash and tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces; dry.
2. Season the lettuce with salt, drizzle 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and the lemon juice and toss it to coat it with the dressing.
3. Slice the eggs with a sharp knife and lay the slices out on a cutting board. Sprinkle the slices with salt, grind pepper over them and sprinkle with chives.
4. To build the salad, place lettuce leaves on the bottom of platter, then place egg slices,crumbled Gorgonzola,bacon; top with hazelnuts.