Unforgettable, that’s what you are – Caesar salad says it all.
What a great dish for a summer day,
Or winter lunch to light up the gray.
Story:
The famous “Caesar Salad” is most commonly made with romaine lettuce, fresh croutons, and garlic vinaigrette, lemon juice, eggs, anchovies, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
Culinary tradition says that Caesar Cordini created the original recipe at his restaurant in Tiajuana, Mexico, in 1924, with many varieties following his original idea. The following recipe, which omits Worcestershire and adds lemon juice alongside anchovies, has become a personal favorite for its fresh, bright, and well-balanced flavors.
Caesar’s dilemma: with or without anchovies? Caesar salad originally didn’t include anchovies, so if you’re not a fan of making the recipe without them, just keep in mind that most anti-anchovy activists are the result of bad experiences based on inferior anchovy brands; the ones that leave off unpleasant fishy / salty flavors prompting generations to yell, “hold the anchovies, please.” With a good quality anchovy; most enjoy the vinaigrette unaware of its presence in awe of the flavors. So buy a good anchovy cured in olive oil or packed whole in sea salt; See for yourself how good it is! Stay away from anchovies that resemble tiny wrinkled minnows. Full-bodied anchovies are the best.
What about those raw eggs?
Unfortunately, the use of raw eggs poses serious health risks; therefore, eggs should be spoiled, omitted, or replaced with pasteurized egg products. Gentle cooking / boiling is easy and actually makes a cream dressing. To pamper: using fresh shell eggs, dip eggs in water just before boiling point; cook 45 seconds to 2 minutes and put in a cold water bath for 20 seconds to stop the cooking process. Most chefs prefer 45-second eggs, but many home cooks are more comfortable with 1-2 minutes. Remember to only use properly chilled eggs; grade A or AA. It is useful to wash the eggs with water or vegetable soap just before use, and to avoid contact between the egg and its outer shell when opening the egg.
Caesar salad recipe:
Croutons:
½ loaf of white bread (day-old bread works great)
4 tablespoons of butter
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1. Remove crust from bread if desired, then cut into 3/4-inch squares and place on cookie sheet.
2. In a small skillet, melt the butter, add the garlic, sauté for 1 minute, and drizzle over the bread squares, mixing well.
3. Bake at 300 – 325 on cookie sheet for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Hot croutons seem less crunchy; developing more crunch as they cool. Also, depending on the choice of bread, baking can take half an hour or more to form a nice crunch.
Salad:
1 bunch of romaine lettuce
1. Wash well, pat dry and chop the lettuce coarsely.
2. Set aside.
Vinaigrette:
1 fresh garlic clove, peeled
4-6 large anchovy fillets, or to taste,
1 egg yolk or whole egg
1 fresh lemon, juice only
1/2 – 3/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (Parmigiano-Reggiano if available)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Reserve 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of salad.
2. Put the remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy. If the dressing is too thick, you can add a little water, oil or lemon juice, but be careful not to dilute the flavors.
3. In a large salad bowl, toss romaine together with desired amount of vinaigrette, top with croutons, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Serve with: A fruity red wine; Pinot Noir is a suggestion.
Serves: 4 aces on the first course or 2 aces on the starter.
Variations: Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. For a Mexican Caesar, add 2 cups of loose cilantro. For entrees, garnish with sliced grilled chicken breast, duck breast, or steamed / smoked seafood.
The Caesar salad, in its simplicity, reigns as king; Its popularity has brought many smiles of enjoyment around the world. So feel good while enjoying a Caesar with the rest of us.
