The Classic Caesar Salad
Oct 4, 2018 / Recipes
This salad is one of the reasons I became a chef. My dad has been making it for me for as long as I can remember, literally! It is not a gluggy dressing but a sharp, tangy, fresh salad that is a meal on its own.
Whenever my dad comes to visit, I ask him to make his Caesar for me. Occasionally I make it myself and it reminds me of my dad, family, strong flavors and the simple good things in life. Feel free to adapt the recipe to suit you (I put even more garlic in mine!), but I recommend making it as written at least once, as many ingredients like the anchovies and Worcestershire sauce don’t taste the way you think they will once they become part of this powerful dressing.
My dad and I make this salad with raw pastured eggs. If raw egg scares you, you can make this recipe with coddled egg.
The Classic Caesar Salad
Makes 4 large serves
- 2 heads of cos (Romaine) lettuce, washed and torn
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil, with extra for frying croutons
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- 100g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 day old baguette, cut into cubes
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Cook the croutons. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the croutons and toss until coated in oil. Cook until they start to toast, then add garlic. Cook until garlic is golden brown. Add more oil if needed. Set croutons aside.
- Place the garlic, anchovy, and some sea salt in a wooden salad bowl. Crush with a fork until mashed into a paste. With the fork, whisk in lemon juice, mustard, Tabasco, Dijon, Worcestershire and finally egg. Add the olive oil.
- Add the torn cos leaves to the dressing and toss to coat. Add the parmesan and toss again. Mound the salad on a plate and top with croutons.
Serving suggestion: This is a very filling salad but if you are really hungry goes well with some grilled salmon.