Photo: Caesar Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Croutons:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups loosely torn country bread (about 3/4-inch pieces)
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 6 white anchovies
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 cups canola oil
Salad:
- 30 large leaves from the hearts of romaine lettuce, left whole
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- Small block Pecorino Romano cheese
- 18 white anchovies, optional
Directions
For the croutons: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in saute or frying pan. Once it is hot but not smoking, add the bread pieces and stir until the bread has been evenly toasted and is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Place the croutons in a bowl with a lining of paper towel to drain the oil. Immediately toss the cheese into the croutons, followed by the parsley. Store at room temperature.
For the dressing: Combine the cheese, roasted garlic, vinegar, mustard, anchovies and egg yolk in a food processor. Blend until a smooth paste has been formed. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons water to ensure it is a smooth paste, and not clumpy. With the machine running, emulsify the oil into the paste in a steady stream. Add more water or vinegar as necessary, depending on how loose or acidic you prefer the dressing.
To finish the salad: Place the lettuce leaves onto a serving platter and drizzle the dressing on top. Season with salt and pepper. Using a peeler, shave large pieces of the Pecorino cheese over the lettuces, followed by the croutons and anchovies if using.
Notes
Cook's Note: For roasted garlic, simply cut two heads of garlic in half, crosswise, exposing the cloves. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on the exposed garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the package and roast in a 375 degree F oven until the garlic is caramelized and soft, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the cloves and discard the skins.
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, by pasteurization or another approved method.
Review This Recipe
You must be logged in to review this recipe.
or Sign Up to Review
Newest Ratings and Reviews
Read all 10 reviews
By PancakeMom
shenandoah, TX
on May 19, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
I loved the dressing because it didn't have the overpowering tart lemon dressing that others have. Perfect.
By Chef EllenK
on March 09, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
This recipe is delicious! My first suggestion is to at least double the amount of croutons you make as you, or your husband, will likely eat most of them before dinner roles around. I am pregnant, and raw egg yolks are a no no, so I cooked the egg yolk with a little water and fresh lemon juice on the stove over low heat stirring continuously until it thickened, like a custard. It made the dressing a bit thicker than it would have been, but it tasted amazing and was pregnancy safe! This will become a must-make for dinner parties to come!
By wondrgd_11406522
North Aurora, IL
on February 17, 2013
Flag
Flag This Review?
Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.
or Cancel
So I just watched this show again and Geoffrey did use both a squeeze of 1/2 of lemon plus the sherry vinegar. For some reason he forgot to include the lemon in his recipe.
Read all 10 reviews