This is my most popular salad dressing at the restaurant, and if you’re a blue cheese fan I’m sure you’ll be happy with it as well. Homemade always tastes better than store bought, and this is no exception. In addition to salads, this is also great with chicken wings, as well as my previous “world’s best chicken sandwich” post. It has also been scaled down for the home kitchen…
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup Helmanns mayonaisse
2 TBS lemon juice
1 heaping tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz good blue cheese (if you start with garbage, you end up with garbage)
4 TBS fresh chives, minced
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 TBS shredded parmesan (NOT the powder, and NOT the pre-shredded stuff. Buy the small block and shred it yourself. Remember the blue cheese…?)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (OK. Good balsamic vinegar costs about $200 a bottle. I use it. I don’t expect you to go spend $200 on a salad dressing. Just try to find a higher end balsamic vinegar. If you have a specialty food store near you, or your supermarket has a large international food section, you shouldn’t have a problem. If, however, you DO happen to have that $200 bottle on the shelf and didn’t know what to do with it, well, you do now!)
Mix all ingredients until incorporated and refrigerate. This lasts about 10 days refrigerated (whether it’s AROUND that long is another story). Using this for a sauce, I just place everything into the bowl and whisk. If you prefer your blue cheese dressing “chunkier”, then mix all ingredients except the blue cheese until blended. Then add the blue cheese, and fold in gently. This will give you the bigger chunks you’re looking for. Enjoy!