As spring soldiers on, we move towards fresher ingredients, more vegetables, vivid colors and healthier diets. As my final recipe of the semester, I am going to present you with the king, or more fittingly, the emperor of salads: the Caesar.
This is the salad most ubiquitous in Italian restaurants—even though it was not formally invented in Italy—and especially prominent in our lives as American food consumers. Yet not many know what actually goes into a Caesar salad. Instead of buying some pre-made dressing, make yourself one that is fresh, delicious and exacted to your specific flavor desires.
First, we start off with the egg yolks. I used four egg yolks separated from the whites and placed them in a bowl. Puncture the yolks and mix them. Then, add in about 1.5 tablespoons of French Dijon mustard. To give it more liquid texture, add one teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Start whisking it together. Once the texture thickens, add in a tablespoon of olive oil while consistently whisking. The mixture should fall through the whisk, as it is not too thick, but not too thin either.
Here’s the part that puzzled me. Take out about six anchovies. Anchovies are a much saltier version of sardines, so they pack a punch in the dressing but impart a wonderful freshness to it as well. Chop up the sardines very finely with a dash of salt and two cloves of minced garlic. Chopping these together with the salt makes mincing easier.
Add the anchovies to the mix while consistently whisking along with three tablespoons of grated parmesan. Squeeze half a lemon in and add a small splash of water for the consistency. All of this whisked together should produce a wonderful Caesar dressing with enough thickness that it coats the lettuce but isn’t too runny. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Incorporate this with whatever greens you like and top that off with more grated parmesan. Make sure to rinse the lettuce before chopping it. Caesar salad can’t go without croutons either. Take a quarter of a loaf of bread and chop it into cubes. Then, drizzle olive oil over them and toss around in a bowl. Spread them out over a baking sheet and place them in the oven at low broil. Monitor closely until they develop that amazing char and crunch that we all love in croutons. Once they are done, add them to the salad.
I served the salad with bits of chicken that I sliced into cubes and cooked with a blend of paprika, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. You can also serve it with breaded chicken, alongside other dishes or as an appetizer. The great thing about a salad is versatility and, of course, freshness.
This was a fun and easy curiosity dish because I came across a recipe online showing me how the dressings used anchovies, and I found that so bizarre. Evidently, the Caesar salad dressing requires it and would not be the same without that extra bit of depth in flavor. This made enough dressing to comfortably feed four people and is great for meal prep. It is also great if you want to store the dressing in a container for later salad prep.
I will take a few lines now to bid farewell to all who have been and continue following my recipes. Making something new every week has been an inspiring challenge that has taught me the importance of keeping things fresh and also the power that food has to restore and revitalize the soul.
I truly believe that good food is something that everyone can find common ground over. I challenge each of you to search within yourself to try new dishes and ways to cook, as it will change the way you think about food. It is not just a means of sustenance; it is an enjoyment and celebration of what we can do to transform simple ingredients into true delicacies.
So, the next time you make a meal for yourself, or for others, take the time to appreciate what you are doing. Go slowly, but not too slowly, and realize that there is a reason for every step you take in the kitchen. As always, happy cooking.
Ingredients:
Anchovies
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Four large egg yolks
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1.5 tbsp Dijon Mustard
Lemon juice from half a lemon
Two garlic cloves
1 tbsp Olive oil
Water
Salt/Pepper
Loaf of bread. Cubed.
Lettuce
Price: $17.96
Rating: 4/5