Monday, January 31, 2011

The Real Caesar

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of tableside service, from time to time I get a real craving for a good tableside Caesar salad (minus the show). Despite the hefty price you might pay for one at a restaurant, it's actually a pretty easy thing to make at home, with ingredients you may already have kicking around.

Of course real Caesar dressing has nothing to do with the creamy bottled stuff, and it also has nothing to do with traditional Italian food. It was however invented by an Italian-born Mexican/American restaurateur named Caesar Cardini. Apparently the story goes that the salad was concocted on the fly during a busy service when his restaurant was running short on supplies. I think he was on to something.

Here's what you need:

- 3/4 cups of olive oil
- A splash of Worcestershire sauce
- Teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- 1-3 anchovy fillets as desired (the original recipe may not have contained them)
- The juice of 1 lemon
- Head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and torn coarsely
- 1 egg yolk (coddled if you prefer - boil egg for 1 minute before cracking)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper

* In a large wooden (preferably) bowl, grind the anchovy fillets and garlic together with the back of a spoon
* When almost in a paste, add the Dijon, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, yolk, and mix well with a whisk
* Next, slowly add the oil while whisking so that the mixture doesn't separate
* Season with black pepper and a very small pinch of salt (if needed), and add grated Parmesan
* Add the romaine leaves to the bowl, mix gently with salad spoons, and top with more Parmesan
* For some great homemade croutons, begin by cutting thin slices of a day-old baguette. Let them dry completely on a baking sheet and then rub the pieces with a garlic clove. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake until lightly browned

Make your salad right before serving... tableside

GG

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