When I know I’m going to serve my guests something like the Seriously Good Extra Crispy Fried Chicken I’m about to unleash on my Updated Southern Supper Menu, I do more than start them off with a really light appetizer like my Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots. I also make a lightweight salad that’s super simple, but packed with all the flavor of a Smoky, Spicy Buttermilk Dressing. The most important ingredient in this recipe is the buttermilk itself, so if you have a brand you love, or know where to get some from a local farmstand, it will make a huge difference. I love the buttermilk from Fair Food Philly in the Reading Terminal Market. They have amazing dairy in general; it’s where I get sheeps milk for my Lemon Verbena Ice Cream and they even sell raw milk there. It’s worth experimenting with different brands and figuring out what is most flavorful to you because it absolutely makes this salad special. The dressing is so good and the lettuce is so tender and mild that some super sweet tiny tomatoes and thin radish slices are all you need. Trust me, you want this Smoky, Spicy Buttermilk Dressing to show off.
- ¾ cup buttermilk (this is the heart of the dressing, so make sure the one you pick or make tastes good to you)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup minced cilantro
- 1 pint jewel tomatoes
- 4 radishes
- 4 cups butter lettuce (or baby romaine)
- Mince the cilantro.
- Whisk together the buttermilk, cream, salt, peppers, paprika and cilantro. Reserve in a container in the fridge (It’s best made day of, but it will keep in the fridge for a day or two).
Halve the tomatoes (Gorgeous? Right?).
- Slice the radishes very thin and halve them if they’re too big to easily fit on a bite. If I'm not using them right away, I sometimes store them in lightly salted water. It takes some of their bite away, and keeps them from drying out.
- Wash, tear and dry the lettuce. Arrange the lettuce on the salad plates and created stripes of radish and tomato if you’re being fancy.
- Then drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Just having a regular weeknight? Toss it altogether in a big bowl and let guests plate themselves.
- Makes 1 cup dressing and salad for 4 people
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