Classic Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad Recipe - Classic Caesar Salad 

Yields: 2 to 4 servings (depending on size of servings)
Prep time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 cup homemade croutons (see directions below)
1 coddled egg (see directions below)*
1 to 2 teaspoons finely-chopped garlic (1 to 2 medium cloves with inner green germ removed - the sprouts add an unpleasant bitterness)
1 to 2 anchovy fillets, mashed**
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tablespoons (1/2 lemon) freshly-squeezed lemon juice***
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano), divided
2 to 3 heads Romaine lettuce, hearts and tender leaves only
Coarsely-ground black pepper

* Coddled egg may be substituted with 1/2 cup mayonnaise. If doing this substitution, reduce some of the olive oil. Better yet, make Linda's easy-to-make and very delicious Low-Fat Caesar Salad Dressing.

** 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). More anchovy fillets may be added according to your personal taste. 

Preparation:

How 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.

 

How to coddle eggs:

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.

How to make Caesar Salad 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.

How to assemble Caesar Salad:

Separate the Romaine leaves and discard the coarse outer leaves. I also like to remove the woody rib from from the Romaine leaves by tearing away the outer leaves fro the rib. Wash, drain, and pat dry with paper towels or spin dry the remaining leaves.  Romaine lettuce should be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use as they are best well chilled. After rinsing and drying, I like to store the leaves by rolling them in kitchen towels and then place in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will give you wonderfully crisp Romaine leaves.

When ready to use, tear Romaine leaves into bite-size pieces.

In a large wooden salad bowl, add 1/3 of the prepared Caesar Salad Dressing and toss with the croutons until well coated.

Add the Romaine lettuce pieces and the remaining dressing; toss until coated.
 

How to serve Caesar Salad:

Divide the salad between chilled plates and sprinkle each salad with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and coarsely-ground black pepper.

Serve immediately with chilled forks.

Makes 2 to 4 servings (depending on serving sizes).
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