Bacon and Date Salad Recipe

If there have been a corridor of fame for social gathering appetizers, dates filled with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon—also called devils on horseback—can be in it. They’re famously salty, candy, chewy, and creamy; it is no shock these little morsels are so fashionable. However what occurs when the social gathering is over, and you are still craving these flavors? I sought to seize the essence of bacon-wrapped dates with a enjoyable salad that is easy sufficient to make on a weeknight. 

My favourite salads begin with a sturdy base and supply a wide range of flavors and textures. Right here, bacon offers each crunch and a smoky, savory word, whereas dates supply sweetness, and goat or blue cheese provides creaminess. I selected kale for a leafy base, which is hefty sufficient to face as much as the dates, bacon, and cheese. Curly or lacinato works nicely, however I discover that curly kale’s folds present nice nooks and crannies for the cheese crumbles and French dressing to sit down. Gently massaging the kale makes it extra tender, however do not overdo it—you continue to need the salad to have some heft and construction. 

There are lots of date varieties, however I desire to make use of Medjool dates, that are tender, custardy, and have a caramel-like taste. I halve the dates, then toss the fruit with the residual bacon fats—the dates prepare dinner on the identical tray because the bacon—and bake them to pay attention their taste, leading to much more sweetness.

For a creamy, tangy element, blue cheese or goat cheese works equally nicely on this salad. I all the time advise making bigger cheese crumbles than you suppose needed, because the cheese will proceed to interrupt up as you toss and serve the salad. Chilly cheese crumbles greatest, so preserve the cheese within the fridge till you are able to serve. 

To enrich the sweetness of the dates, the French dressing has only a contact of maple syrup—sufficient to steadiness it with out being cloying. I name for nation Dijon mustard; with its specks of mustard seeds, it is the very best of each worlds between Dijon and whole-grain mustard. However be at liberty to make use of your favourite mustard, so long as it is not yellow—that is higher suited to scorching canines or pigs in a blanket.