Ingredients:

  • 1 large head Iceberg/Romaine mix lettuce (approx. 500 g), washed, dried, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup celery (120 g), finely diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion (60 g), finely minced
  • 1 ½ cups frozen peas (225 g), straight from the freezer
  • 1 ½ cups full-fat mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek Yogurt)
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 oz thick cut bacon (225 g), cooked crispy and crumbled
  • 6 large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese (200 g), freshly grated
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chives (10 g), finely snipped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Proteins: Cook the bacon until crispy, drain well on paper towels, and crumble once cooled. Hard-boil the eggs (about 8-10 minutes), immediately chill them in an ice bath, then peel and coarsely chop.
  2. Make the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until completely smooth and slightly tangy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and chill.
  3. Prepare Vegetables: Wash the lettuce thoroughly and use a salad spinner to get it bone dry. Chop coarsely. Finely dice the celery and red onion.
  4. Layer 1 (Base): Place half of the chopped, dry lettuce mixture into the bottom of a large, straight-sided glass bowl (3.5–4 litre capacity), pressing down gently.
  5. Layers 2 & 3: Sprinkle the diced celery evenly over the lettuce, followed by the finely minced red onion, and then scatter the frozen peas evenly over the aromatics.
  6. Layer 4 (The Creamy Seal): Carefully spoon the prepared dressing over the peas. Crucially, use the back of the spoon to spread the dressing completely to cover all exposed ingredients right up to the edges of the bowl, sealing the layers beneath.
  7. Layer 5 (More Lettuce): Add the remaining dry lettuce on top of the dressing layer.
  8. Layers 6 & 7 (The Crowning Glory): Sprinkle the chopped hard-boiled eggs evenly over the lettuce layer, then finish the top with the crumbled bacon and the grated sharp cheddar cheese.
  9. Chill: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, and ideally 6-8 hours. The chilling time allows the dressing to set and prevents the lower lettuce layers from wilting.
  10. Garnish and Serve: Just before serving, remove the plastic wrap and garnish the top layer with snipped fresh chives. Serve using a long-handled spoon, ensuring you scoop through all seven layers for a complete bite.