Classic Tableside Caesar Salad
Nothing beats the tang of a classically prepared Caesar salad. Crushing the garlic into a paste with salt, and adding a hit of anchovy (or Worcestershire sauce) just at the point of serving will take your salad to restaurant level.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 330kcal
Ingredients
Classic Caesar Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce cleaned and torn into bite size pieces
- 4 slices bacon cooked til crisp and crumbled
- 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 anchovie fillets
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 Tbsps fresh lemon juice plus more wedges if you want more for garnish
- 5 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard optional
Croutons
- 2 cups rustic bread cut into ½" cubes
- 2 Tbsps olive oil
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
Classic Caesar Salad
- Using the tines of 2 forks, shred and mash the garlic and salt in the bottom of, preferably a wooden, bowl until they make a paste.
- Add the anchovy fillets, the Worcestershire sauce and the cracked black pepper. Mash with the forks until well blended.
- Whisk in the egg yolk with a fork. Whisk in the lemon juice and then the olive oil and Dijon if using.
- Add the torn lettuce, half the croutons, cheese and bacon and toss til the lettuce is well coated. Sprinkle the remaining croutons, cheese and bacon on top of the salad.
- Serve with additional black pepper and lemon wedges if desired.
Croutons
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the bread cubes, oil and pepper together and spread in one layer on the baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes til crispy. Allow to cool before adding to salad.
Notes
Variations:
If you are concerned about using a raw egg, substitute ⅓ cup mayonnaise for the oil and egg yolk.
If you don't have anchovies on hand, you can omit them and increase the Worcestershire sauce to 1 ¼ tsps.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 817mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g