avocado  salad  with  bacon  vinaigrette

I originally had this dish at a restaurant in Niagara Falls, Canada with a nice tall, cold glass of Stella Artois. I was really in heaven. Creamy avocado and bacon? In the same dish and not in a sandwich? And it was surprisingly light? You will love this dish!

Makes about 2 servings
1 ripe avocado
2 strips of thick cut bacon
1 teaspoon of red onion (thinly sliced)
2 teaspoons of crumbled blue cheese
6-8 cherry tomatoes

Bacon Vinaigrette
2 teaspoons of rendered bacon fat
2 extra large egg yolks
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
Pinch of salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of hot water

Let's start off with the bacon. Slab bacon or thick cut bacon is the only way to go. Slice the bacon into strips and on medium heat cook the bacon until crisp.

Drain the bacon strips on a paper towel. Reserve the bacon fat in a bowl and set it aside. As it cools it will begin to solidify a bit.

In a food processor or a tall vessel combine the egg yolks, rendered bacon fat and vinegar. Blend the mixture together for about a minute.

Add in a pinch of salt. WITH THE BLENDER ON, add in a 1/4 teaspoon of hot water. This will temper the egg in the vinaigrette and prevent it from getting lumpy. (You don't want scrambled eggs). At this point taste the dressing. If you would like the dressing thinner add another 1/4 teaspoon of hot water. Otherwise the dressing is done and you can set it aside.

Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the red onion thinly. Remember you only need about 1 teaspoon.

Peel and remove the seed from the avocado. Then slice it into long strips. (You can add a small squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning if you wish but this salad is sooooo delicious that it doesn't stick around that long). Also make sure that you have the blue cheese ready.

I like to serve this salad with just a few drizzles of the vinaigrette. If you would like a richer flavor
you can certainly add more.

Bon appetit!