Caesar Salad (serves 4)
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- 1 large head romaine lettuce - 1 teaspoon dry mustard |
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best) - 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper |
1.
Trim the
romaine lettuce of bruised or browned leaves, then
cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. 2.
Wash and drain
the lettuce, pat it dry and refrigerate for 30 minutes to crisp the leaves. 3.
To make the
croutons, cut the bread into cubes, heat the 1/2 cup olive oil in a sauté pan
over medium-high heat. Fry the bread cubes in the oil, tossing frequently,
until they're crisp and golden. Drain the croutons on a paper towel until
ready to use. 4.
Peel the garlic
cloves then put in a large wooden salad bowl. Mash the cloves against the
sides of the bowl with the back of a wooden spoon. Rub the pieces against the
bowl until they begin to disintegrate. Remove most of the mashed garlic from
the bowl and discard (oil from the garlic will remain in the bowl and flavor
the salad). 5.
Add the
anchovies and repeat the procedure you used with the garlic, but leave the
anchovy pieces in the bowl. Now add the dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce,
lemon juice, black pepper, and egg yolks and blend well. Slowly drizzle in
the remaining olive oil mixing with a wire whisk until a creamy mayonnaise type
dressing forms. Add the lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and salt. Toss
everything together and serve directly from the salad bowl! *Note:
The original recipe may have called for coddled whole eggs (warmed to 120F
degrees, to coddle simmer in water 1 minute and cool in cold water) so they
are soft and runny. Some chefs who make this salad today use the whole egg at
room temperature. **Sautéed or steamed vegetables, chicken and shrimp may be added if you like! Simply cook them in a separate pan and add them to the top of the salad. This will create more of a lunch or dinner portion entree. |