Food Network: Italian Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons

	Print 3x5 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 3x5 recipe card to your personal collection.

Italian Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
Dressing:
3 garlic cloves
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Polenta Croutons:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups Basic Polenta, recipe follows

Vegetable oil, for deep frying

Salad:
3 small heads (or2 large heads) romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 ounces shaved Parmesan

Instructions
To make the dressing: Finely chop the garlic and
anchovies in a food processor. Blend in the lemon juice and mustard. With the
machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with
salt and pepper.

To make the croutons: Spread the olive oil over a small baking sheet. Transfer the
hot polenta to the baking sheet, spreading evenly to form an 8 by 5 by
3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2
hours.

Cut the polenta into 3/4-inch cubes. Pat the polenta cubes dry with paper towels.
Add enough vegetable oil to a heavy large frying pan to come 1-inch up the sides
of the pan. Heat the oil over high heat. Working in batches of 10, carefully add
the polenta cubes to the oil 1 at a time and fry until golden brown, stirring to
keep the cubes separate, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the
polenta croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

(The dressing and polenta croutons can be prepared 1 day ahead up to this point.
Cover the dressing and polenta croutons separately and refrigerate. Rewarm the

polenta croutons on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven before serving.)

To make the salad: Prepare the barbecue for high heat. Grill the lettuce until
lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
On a serving platter, mound the grilled chopped lettuce. Decoratively scatter the
sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Drizzle with enough dressing to evenly coat.
Sprinkle Parmesan and scatter the warm polenta croutons over and serve
immediately.

Basic Polenta:
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add salt. Gradually
whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens
and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the
heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Lightly oil a half sheet pan. Transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking
dish, spreading evenly to 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2
hours.

Yield: 2 cups polenta
CookTime: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours