Classic Caesar Salad |
|
|
Home | Recipes | Diet Recipes | Dinner Party Menus | Food History | Culinary Dictionary | Diet, Health & Beauty |
|
|
Learn more about Caesar Salad History. Check out more of Linda's wonderful Salads and Salad Dressing Recipes.
Don't
forget to check
out my
Christmas
Prime Rib Dinner Menu
and
Pork Loin
with Pumpkin Sage Bread Pudding
dinner menu which includes this wonderful
and very easy-to-make
Caesar Salad. Caesar Salad
1/2 to 3/4 cup croutons (see directions below)
* Coddled egg may be substituted with 1/2 cup
mayonnaise. If doing this substitution, reduce some of the olive oil.
** Use only good-quality Spanish or Portuguese anchovies in your dressing. Anchovy paste may be substituted (approximately two inches squeezed from the tube will provide the equivalent taste of one anchovy fillet).
*** Fresh lemon juice is essential. Some chefs squeeze the lemon through a cheesecloth to ensure that only the juice ends up in the salad. If you are careful to keep the lemon seeds out of the salad, a simple squeeze will do.
To make croutons:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the crust from day-old peasant-style bread (Italian or French bread) and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with enough olive oil to coat, but not drench. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, give the pan a shake to make sure the croutons toast evenly. Remove from oven and completely cool croutons. Store in an airtight container.
To coddle egg: Coddling causes the yolk to become slightly thickened and warm. Bring a very fresh egg to room temperature by immersing it in warm water (otherwise it might crack when coddled). Place the egg in a small bowl or mug and pour boiling water around the egg until it is covered. Let stand for exactly 1 minute. Immediately run cold water into the bowl until the egg can be easily handled; set aside.
To assemble salad: Separate the Romaine leaves and discard the coarse outer leaves. Wash, drain, and pat with paper towels or spin dry the remaining leaves. Note: Lettuce should be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. Tear into bite-size pieces and set aside.
To serve: Divide the salad between two chilled plates and sprinkle each salad with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and coarsely ground pepper. Serve immediately with chilled forks.
Makes 2 to 4 servings (depending on serving sizes)
|
My all-time favorite salad is the Caesar Salad. To many, including myself, this is the
King of salads. If a restaurant offers it on the menu, I usually request it when dining out. If you have never experienced "the show" that goes with tableside presentation, you don’t know what you
have missed. What an opportunity for a waiter to show off his stuff, mixing and whisking to the delight of the patrons.
Caesar Salad is named after chef Caesar Cardini who created it in his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924. It became popular in Hollywood and is now considered an American classic.
To make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy, and salt until blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the coddled egg until the mixture is thick, approximately 1 minute (this enable the lemon juice to "cook" the eggs). Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while vigorously whisking the mixture with the other. When the dressing is well combined, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.
In a large wooden salad bowl, add 1/3 of the dressing and toss with the croutons until well coated. Add the Romaine lettuce pieces and the remaining dressing; toss until coated.