Sunday Supper: Iceberg Wedge With Warm Bacon Dressing

Serves 4.

Note: Perk up your summer dining with a twist on a classic recipe. Instead of the usual buttermilk dressing for this dish of the '50s and '60s, Joe Carroll, chef of St. Anselm in Brooklyn, uses a warm bacon dressing inspired by the jars of gravy-like Pennsylvania Dutch bacon dressing that his family poured over salads, vegetables and potatoes when he was a kid. Serve this salad alongside a simple grilled steak. From "Feeding the Fire," by Joe Carroll.

• 6 oz. thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-in. pieces

• 2 tbsp. flour

• 1 1/2 c. water

• 1/3 c. cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp. sugar

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large head iceberg lettuce, cut and cored into 4 wedges

• 4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled

• 1/4 c. chopped parsley

Directions

Heat bacon fat over medium-low heat, then stir in flour and cook stirring with a wooden spoon, until the flour is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add water, vinegar, sugar and mustard, bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until the dressing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. (The dressing should have the consistency of gravy.)