Ingredients
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300 g romaine lettucewashed dried and torn into bite size pieces
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40 g parmesan cheese
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30 g crispy bacon
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30 croutons
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Salad Preparation
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3 pieces anchovy filletsmashed
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1/2 lemon freshly squeezed lemon juice
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1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
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1 tablespoon cloves garlicmashed
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1 dash Worcestershire Sauce
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1 piece Egg Yolks
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sea salt flakes
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black pepper from the mill
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extra virgin olive oil
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red wine vinegar
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1 tablespoon bacon bits
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1 1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
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Ceasar Salad Dressing
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15 g finely chopped garlic
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15 g grated parmesan cheese
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20 g anchovy filletsdrained well
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2 pieces Egg Yolks
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5 ml fresh lemon juice
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240 g quality vegetable oil
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90 g extra virgin olive oil
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60 ml red wine vinegar
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90 g Dijon Mustard
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black pepper from the mill
Directions
Caesar salad is perhaps the most popular and wide spread salad anywhere. I don’t think I have worked in an establishment where Caesar salad wasn’t served in one form or another.
The Caesar salad was invented by the Italian Caesar Cardini, in a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The story is, that on a holiday weekend in 1924 supplies were running short and in a last minute improvisation Caesar said to one of his staff: “Take all of these ingredients to the table and make a real ceremony out of preparing that salad. I want the guest to feel that they are getting the house specialty prepared for them”.
So it happened and perhaps the most famous of salads today was born, “prepared a la minute” in an improvised setting.
I love that story, mainly because I believe that we chefs excel so much when the pressure is on and the heat levels are up in our kitchens. It just brings out the best in us. Below are both recipes, the one for “a la minute” (table side preparation in front of your guest) and the recipe for the Caesar dressing prepared ahead of time.
Whichever method you prefer, once the salad is tossed it needs to be sprinkled with Parmesan, bacon bits and croutons.
How to Prepare the Caesar Salad
- Combine the anchovies, garlic and the Dijon mustard in your salad bowl. Mix well, then add the egg yolk, Parmesan cheese and season well.
- Combine well, stir vigorously until slightly foamy.
- Add the virgin olive oil in a slow stream while keeping the mixture in motion, this will prevent the dressing from splitting.
- Add the red wine vinegar little by little whenever the mixture is getting too thick and alternate until both the red wine vinegar and the virgin olive oil are fully incorporated.
- Season with the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
- Toss with the romaine leaves and ensure all leaves are well coated. Place the leaves on the serving plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings, bacon bits and croutons.
How to Prepare the Dressing for the Caesar Salad (yield 500 ml)
- In a blender, puree all solid ingredients with the red wine vinegar.
- Add the egg yolks and slowly add the vegetable oil and virgin olive oil to the mixture while the blender is rotating on medium speed.
- Toss with the romaine leaves with the prepared dressing ensuring that all leaves are well coated.
- Place the leaves on the serving plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings, bacon bits and croutons.
