This is adapted from Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton at home. It’s partly the chilled salad plates that make the difference. You can also experiment with high-end roquefort cheese and if you want, add thin slices of fresh pear and toasted walnuts, on the side as an accoutrement.
1 small head of iceberg (organic is available, now, too)
4 oz blue cheese crumbled
2 ½ tbs good sherry vinegar
¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 minced garlic clove
½ cup (or less) extra-virgin olive oil
4 chilled salad bowls
Cut the lettuce in half, remove stem, and cut each piece in half (i.e. quarter it).
In a bowl, crumble half the blue cheese, add vinegar, pepper, thyme and garlic and slowly drizzle in the olive oil with a whisk until oil is mixed in.
Distribute dressing evenly over the four lettuce wedges. Crumble the remaining blue cheese on top of each.