Wedge Recipe

Wedge Salad

1. 1

   Prepare lettuce

   Trim outer leaves if bruised and core the baby iceberg heads so each remains as one solid wedge. Rinse under cold water, spin or pat dry thoroughly. Chill in refrigerator until ready to assemble (about 10–15 minutes).

2. 2

   Cook and crumble bacon

   Cook bacon until crisp (pan-fry, oven-bake at 400°F/200°C for 12–16 minutes, or air-fry). Drain on paper towels, let cool slightly, then crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve on paper towel to absorb excess fat.

3. 3

   Fry the capers

   Pour vegetable oil into a small skillet or saucepan to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat to 350°F (medium-high). Pat capers very dry between paper towels. Test one caper: when oil is hot, add capers in a single layer — they should sizzle and puff immediately. Fry 20–40 seconds until they become crispy and slightly darker. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried capers to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season lightly with a pinch of sea salt. Allow to cool and crisp further.

4. 4

   Halve tomatoes

   Rinse cherry tomatoes, dry, and cut each in half. If tomatoes are very juicy, gently blot cut sides with paper towel to avoid adding excess moisture to the wedge.

5. 5

   Season wedges

   Place one chilled baby iceberg wedge on each plate. Lightly sprinkle each wedge with a small pinch of sea salt (about 1/8 tsp) and a light grind of black pepper to taste (approximately 1/8 tsp per wedge).

6. 6

   Dress and assemble

   Drizzle each wedge with about 3/4 oz Wylder ranch (total 3 oz across 4 wedges) in a thin ribbon across the top. Then lightly drizzle about 1/2 oz garlic vinaigrette over each wedge to add brightness. Arrange halved cherry tomatoes around and on top of the wedge (about 1/4 cup per wedge). Scatter crumbled bacon evenly over the wedges (about 1.5 slices worth of crumbled bacon per wedge). Finish by evenly distributing fried capers over the four wedges (about 3/4 tbsp per wedge).

7. 7

   Final season & garnish

   Taste one wedge and adjust seasoning if needed with a tiny additional pinch of salt or pepper. Sprinkle thinly sliced chives over all wedges for color and mild onion flavor, if using. Serve immediately so the fried capers stay crisp.