.creole bacon salad with cornmeal crusted tomatoes.

We actually ate this salad twice last week. First, for a small dinner party at our place with some friends and then, a few days later, we brought it over to my mother's for a big bbq. And I'm happy to report that it went over well at both places.
While the creole sauce is hard to find [we actually never did find it but just substituted it with grainy Dijon mustard], this version had a tangy intense flavor from the vinegar + dijon and a sweet warm taste from the tomatoes + bacon. A unique salad that tastes as good as it looks. And just to be certain, the entire plate got cleaned up by both groups of people!
I promise this salad really does have major flavor and you won't be sad you tried it.

Creole Bacon Salad with Cornmeal Crusted Tomatoes

[original recipe found here]
Yield: 4 appetizers

Ingredients:

¼ lb Bacon, diced

8 sliced of Tomato, ½-inch thick

¼ cup Cornmeal

1 tbsp Onion powder
1 tbsp Garlic powder
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 tsp Salt
¼ cup Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
4 cups Lettuce, chopped fine
½ cup Remoulade Dressing [recipe below]
Directions:
1] Make the remoulade dressing [see below] and place in fridge.
2] In a heavy saute pan, saute the bacon until some of the fat has been rendered and the bacon is cooked but not crisp. While the bacon is cooking, combine the cornmeal, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Remove bacon and saute pan from heat and place off to the side for the time being. DO NOT RINSE PAN, you will need the bacon fat.
3] Dip each tomato slice in flour, then egg and finally in the cornmeal spice. Place tomatoes on a side plate until ready to cook and make sure you handle tomatoes gently so as not to damage the coating.
4] Arrange the lettuce on salad plates or on a large platter and drizzle the top with the remoulade dressing.
5] Remove the bacon with slotted spoon and sprinkle on top of the salad evenly.
6] Pan fry the tomato slices in the bacon fat for 2 minutes each side, then place on top of the salad, Serve while the tomato and bacon are still warm.

Remoulade Dressing
Ingredients:
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
¾ cup Creole Mustard [you can substitute with Grainy Dijon Mustard like we did]
1 cup Olive Oil
½ cup Green Onions, sliced thin
¼ cup Parsley, chopped
¼ cup Celery, fine diced
1 tbsp Garlic, chopped
1 tbsp Paprika
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
1] In a mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar and mustard.
2] Add the olive oil in slowly, whisking it until the three ingredients are blended well. It's important to pour slow as then the three will actually blend together.
3] Add the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.