Nothing beats a Classic Caesar Salad made fresh right at your table. Fresh ingredients, freshly made.

For a quick meal that salad that comes to your table freezing cold because it has been prepared en masse and has been sitting in the fridge, will have to do. But nothing beats a classic caesar made fresh at your table with fresh garlic and fresh parmesan.

This is kind of old-steak-house-style but it has stood the test of time!

Of course you can make it in your kitchen and just serve the huge bowl of it for the no-drama-version! The point is it will be freshly made with the freshest of ingredients.

In the Recipe Notes I will give a variation that is quick and easy (for those of you who don't happen to keep anchovies on hand at all times!) and approximates this style.

If you are concerned about raw egg yolk in your salad you can check out the variation in the Recipe notes or this link that discusses Should you eat raw eggs?

Here is what you will need.

Table set with wooden salad bowl, lemon, anchovies, parmesan, egg yolk.

Chef's Tips

The wooden salad bowl is nice because when you rub the cut garlic on the inside it tends to absorb the flavour. But, don't let that stop you if you only have glass or ceramic bowls.
Use 1-2 garlic cloves to suit your taste. If you are using fresh-from-the-garden, juicy cloves 1 clove will probably be more than enough. If it is mid-winter garlic with no visible juiciness you will likely want 2 cloves.
You can easily make interesting croutons at home but if that is a pain commercial ones work well too!
If you want to streamline the dressing- real mayonnaise is made of oil and egg, and worcestershire sauce is based on anchovies. See the Recipe Notes for quantities to substitute for the streamlined version.

Start by mashing the garlic and salt into a paste using the tines of two forks.

garlic paste at bottom of caesar salad bowl

Then you are going to add the anchovy fillets, the Worcestershire Sauce, the black pepper and stir well. Add the egg yolk and lemon juice and stir well.

Add the olive oil and Dijon if using and whisk well.

Add the lettuce to the bottom of the bowl, half the bacon, half the parmesan and half the croutons. Toss til the lettuce is shiny and coated.

Caesar Salad in a wooden bowl with croutons and grated parmesan garnish

Add the remaining croutons, cheese and bacon on top of the salad.

Serve with additional black pepper and lemon wedges.

This made a perfect side for my favourite Eggplant Parmigiana!

Eggplant Parmigiana scallop beside caesar salad on a plate

Wine Pairing

You are more likely to pair your wine with the main meat or feature of your meal. But if you are serving this Caesar as a separate course then a crisp white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or Italian Pinot Grigio would work. Choose a low tannin red such as a Barbera or a Southern Rhone blend.

Classic Tableside Caesar Salad

Chef's Tips

Wine Pairing