Caesar's Salad
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
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
Method
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.