Caesar's Salad
A classic Caesar salad with a proper emulsified dressing, the anchovies and garlic mashed to a paste before whisking in the oil, rather than just chopped and stirred through, which is what makes the dressing taste evenly savoury instead of hitting occasional sharp bites of raw garlic. Tossing the croutons through at the very last moment keeps them crunchy instead of turning soft under the dressing.
Prep25 min
Cook10 min
Servings4
Christoph's Caesar salad, the anchovies and garlic mashed to a paste before whisking so the dressing tastes evenly savoury.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Dressing
- 4 anchovy fillets rounded
- 1 garlic clove rounded
- 1 egg yolk rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- 10 g Dijon mustard rounded
- 90 ml olive oil rounded
- 30 g vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated rounded
Salad
- 2 romaine lettuce heads, leaves separated rounded
- 150 g stale bread, cut into cubes rounded
- 30 ml olive oil, for the croutons rounded
- 30 g vegetarian hard cheese, shaved, for serving rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Mash the anchovy fillets and garlic together into a smooth paste, using the flat of a knife or a mortar and pestle.
- Whisk the anchovy-garlic paste, egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard together. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly, until emulsified. Whisk in the grated cheese.
- Toss the bread cubes with the olive oil for the croutons. Fry in a hot pan for about 8 minutes, tossing often, until deeply golden and crisp.
- Toss the romaine leaves with the dressing.
- Add the croutons at the very last moment and toss briefly. Top with shaved cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Mash the anchovies and garlic to a paste before mixing them in. Chopped pieces give occasional sharp bites; a smooth paste distributes evenly through the dressing for a consistent savoury depth.
- Whisk the oil in slowly. This is a true emulsified dressing; pouring the oil in all at once breaks it into a thin, oily liquid rather than a thick, clinging sauce.
- Toss the croutons through right before serving, never earlier. Dressed too early, they absorb moisture from the lettuce and lose their crunch within minutes.
- The dressing keeps for 2 days in the fridge, but the assembled salad doesn’t hold and should be eaten right after tossing.
Ingredient substitutions
- Anchovy fillets can be swapped for a small amount of anchovy paste; if you need a fish-free version, this dressing loses its classic character but a splash of soy sauce or miso can approximate the savoury depth.
- Romaine lettuce is traditional for its crunch; other sturdy lettuces can substitute in a pinch.
- Grilled chicken or shrimp on top turns this into a heartier main course.
From Christoph Mayer