Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad is named after chef Caesar Cardini who created it in his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. It also became popular in Hollywood and is now considered an American classic. Coddled egg which is thickened semi raw egg yolk can be replaced with mayonnaise and anchovy can be excluded for the vegetarian version. There are many brands of egg less mayonnaise available in India for vegetarians. This salad is a favorite all over the world and there are variations that revisit tradition by adding a quirky twist. I recently had a Cajun shrimp Caesar salad in Hong Kong which was delicious. Grilled or boiled chicken and crisp bacon variations are also popular. These are just added as a topping to the basic salad.
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 2 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- salt & coarsely ground pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup (6 tbsp) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 anchovy fillet (optional)
- 1 cup croutons
- Wash lettuce and tear into bite size pieces.
- Cut firm bread into cubes. Sprinkle lightly with olive oil and salt. Toss and spread out in a baking tray and bake in a medium oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until crisp.
- Whisk together garlic, mashed anchovy, salt lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise until combined and thick.
- Add olive oil while continuing to whisk and finally add half the grated parmesan cheese.
- Place lettuce leaves and croutons in a bowl. Pour dressing over and toss.
- Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese and coarsely powdered fresh pepper just before serving.
Grilled shredded chicken, crisp bacon, lightly seasoned and cooked shrimp etc can be added to make this salad more substantial.