Recipe: Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing atop The Wedge

After experimenting with a number of blends, this buttermilk blue cheese dressing had me lapping my plate like a hungry kitten. Sturdy enough to hold its own as a salad dressing, dipping sauce, or fried wing accompaniment. Makes about 1 1/2 c.

Ingredients:
1/4-1/2 c whole buttermilk (see NOTE)*
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c salad oil
1/2 c crumbled blue cheese**
1 large garlic clove
2 anchovy fillets (the salted, canned variety)***
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t Kosher salt
1/4 t pepper

Method: Reserve 1/4 c blue cheese and blend everything else until smooth. Add blue cheese crumbles and refrigerate at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight, before using.

*I usually make this with the wonderful whole milk buttermilk from Argyle Cheese Farmer in Washington County, New York. The first time I had to substitute store-bought buttermilk, it was too thin. So, I recommend you start with 1/4 cup of whatever buttermilk you are using then add more as needed to get it to a dippable consistency.
**You don’t have to use high quality cheese, but it does need to be dry vs. vs creamy.
***If you don’t have anchovies, substitute a couple good squirts of Worchestershire sauce. But anchovies are better.