Caesar Salad

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caesarsalad

Caesar salad is one of my all time favorite side dishes.  I find myself ordering it at new restaurants just to see their variation.  I used to buy the Caesar salad kits, but now that I have this recipe I prefer to make it from scratch.  The recipe has so much more flavor and is so easy to make.  My sister-in-law Rayanne has been making this salad for family gatherings for a couple of years now.   The homemade croutons and large chunks of Parmesan cheese really take this salad to the next level.  Add grilled chicken breast and this can be a main dish.  For a more potent flavor, puree 6 anchovies with the salad dressing.

Caesar Salad

  • 1 bulb roasted garlic
  • juice from half a lemon
  • 1 Tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • sliced Parmesan for garnish
  • lemon wedges for garnish
  • homemade croutons
  • romaine lettuce

Ahead of time, roast bulb of garlic and prepare homemade croutons (see recipes below). To prepare the dressing, place the roasted garlic, juice of half a lemon, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and grated Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor or heavy duty blender.  Pulse to combine.  With the machine running, add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream.  Taste dressing and add more salt if necessary.  Makes 1.5 cups dressing.  To serve toss with clean, dry pieces of romaine lettuce.  Add homemade croutons, and sliced Parmesan cheese.  Garnish with lemon wedges, and freshly cracked pepper.

Kitchen note: the original recipe called for the juice of a whole lemon, 1 cup olive oil, 1.5 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 cloves minced garlic.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. I also add sugar to balance the bitter flavors.  Rayanne does not use sugar, and it is not in the original recipe.

Roasting garlic:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife slice the top off a garlic bulb, just enough to expose the tops of the garlic flesh. Center bulb on a square piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb securely and put in oven. Roast for about 45 minutes.

Homemade Croutons:

Combine olive oil, garlic and salt. Drizzle over bread cubes. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for at least 15 minutes. May need to bake longer until at desired crunchiness. (I no longer measure, but just break up a loaf of bread and drizzle a mixture of olive oil, garlic and salt over it.)