Caesar Salad

It occurred to me that I have not posted a recipe that contains a single vegetable since January. Unless you count potatoes….which I do not. I promise that I will not emerge from this quarantine three times my original size. But that is only because I have taken up running again out of sheer boredom. My quarantine life basically oscillates between making bread and going for walks/runs.

Since I assume some of you are trying to maintain a semblance of healthy eating during this shut-in, I am posting a salad recipe. Is this considered the most healthy salad? Definitely not. But it contains greens so I’m going to count it.

This Caesar salad is not original, but is routinely made poorly and therefore worthy of revisiting. Caesar salad is a treat. It requires time and care to ensure perfection. Yes, you absolutely must make the dressing from scratch. Yes, you must use real anchovies even if you find them smelly and disgusting. The classic Caesar salad did not include bacon but it should have and so I do.

For those trying to keep things low carb, I have included a recipe for Parmesan crisps, which is exactly what it sounds like: crisped up cheese. Feel free to use either traditional croutons or crisps.

Some notes about the dressing. Make sure to pour the oil in a very slow and steady stream. If you pour too quickly, the dressing will “break” and will have to be redone (more notes on this below). When done properly, this amount of whisking is an arm workout. Suck it up. You don’t have to go to the gym now. Pounding the anchovies and garlic in a mortar and pestle is the best way. The longer you pound, the better it will be. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, chop the ingredients very finely on a cutting board, and pound it on the board with either the side of your knife or a meat mallet. Better yet- get a mortar and pestle. Online shopping is fun and quarantine approved.

This dressing is a balance of tastes, and so the amounts indicated are really more of a guideline. Put it together and taste it. Taste it on a piece of lettuce, and feel free to add more salt, garlic, cheese….whatever you feel is missing.

If your dressing “breaks” or separates/curdles, stop. Go and get another egg yolk in a new bowl and try again, this time adding in very slowly your broken emulsion into the new egg yolk while whisking constantly.

Last note: anchovies are usually sold in a jar or canned tin. If you purchase the tin, no need to discard the leftovers. Put the leftover anchovies and their oil in a small mason jar. Cover with additional olive oil until the anchovies are submerged and keep refrigerated for another use. Not sure what to do with them? Add them to the base of bolognese and other sauces for a hit of umami flavour. Or make more Caesar salad.

Caesar Salad

Serves 4

Salad
1 small head Romaine lettuce
5-6 slices of bacon, cooked
Croutons or Parmesan crisps (recipe below)

Dressing
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup of neutral-tasting oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 anchovies
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of salt

To Make the Dressing: Place the egg yolk in a medium bowl. Dampen a kitchen towel, roll it up into a long log and wrap it around the bowl to prevent the bowl from slipping. Make sure your oil is in an easily pourable container. With a whisk in one hand, slowly, one drop at a time, drizzle the oil into the egg yolk while whisking constantly. About half-way through, when the dressing is very thick, thin it out with a squeeze of lemon and continue pouring the oil.

Chop the anchovies. In a mortar and pestle (or if necessary on a breadboard), pound the anchovies and garlic with a pinch of salt. Add this to the dressing along with a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, another pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of cheese. Add the remaining lemon juice and whisk to combine. Taste and add any additional seasoning if necessary.

To make the Croutons: Heat the oven to 350F. Tear part of a good baguette or sourdough bread into bite size pieces. In a medium skillet, add 3-4 Tbsp of olive oil and 2 cloves of finely minced garlic. Cook on low heat until the garlic begins to brown. Watch carefully to avoid burning the garlic. Combine the torn bread with the garlic oil. Pour croutons onto a lined baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly brown.

To make Parmesan Crisps: Heat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Finely grate Parmesan cheese into piles, approximately 1″ in diameter. You should use about 2 Tbsp of cheese per pile. Cook in the oven until brown and crispy.

Make the Salad: Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Chop the bacon or cut up small with scissors and add it to the lettuce. Right before serving, add the croutons and toss with the dressing.