BLT Salad

Main-dish salad that includes the key elements of a BLT sandwich: crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes, mayo, and toasted bread

For salad
4 ounces pre-washed baby lettuces, or 1 large head or heart of butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated, washed, and coarsely chopped
8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
6 strips of bacon
4 ounces bread (can be a bit stale), chopped or torn into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper

For dressing
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
¼ cup olive oil, or neutral oil like grapeseed
sugar

Place the lettuce and tomatoes in a large serving bowl. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, lay the bacon strips in a single layer and cook, flipping occasionally, until they are fully cooked and getting crispy, about 5 minutes. Lay paper towels on a large plate. Use tongs to remove the bacon strips from the pan so that their drippings stay behind, and place them on the plate, blotting them with the paper towels to remove excess grease. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into ½-inch pieces and place it in the serving bowl with the lettuce and tomatoes.

While cooked bacon is cooling, keep the skillet or sauté pan on medium heat, and add the bread pieces. Season the bread with a large pinch each of salt and pepper, then stir to coat the bread with the bacon drippings. Cook for about 5 minutes, flipping the bread pieces occasionally, until they are toasted and golden. Turn off the heat and add the toasted bread to the serving bowl.

To make the dressing, in a small or medium bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly add the oil in a continuous stream, whisking at the same time to emulsify the dressing. Whisk in a pinch of sugar, then taste and adjust seasonings if desired.

Before serving, drizzle about half of the dressing over the salad and toss everything together, reserving the remaining dressing to be added to individual portions at the table as desired.