It’s one of those classics that will always be tasty. No matter how often you eat them. For me the caesar salad is definitely one of those.
Caesar salad
There is something about the caesar salad. It might be one of the most simple salads you’ve met. You literally only need a few ingredients, but it is still one of my favorite salad recipes. Salty, creamy, crunchy and delicious. Not everyone loves to add anchovies, but if you don’t it’s very easy to leave those out.
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What is the origin of the caesar salad?
To be honest I thought that the caesar salad was an American invention. But it turns out to have been created in Mexico. I did not see that one coming. In all fairness: it is created by an Italian, Caesar Cardini, who apparently lived in Mexico. His name, as you must have guessed, is how the caesar salad got his.
The original salad consisted of just 6 ingredients; romaine lettuce, garlic, egg, parmesan cheese, croutons and worcester sauce. Anchovies was not part of the dish originally. And up to this day you can find this dish with and without the anchovies in it. I have to confess I am not alway a fan of anchovies. But like I said, you can simply leave it out.
Is there anchovies in the dressing?
Another optional use of the anchovies. You can definitely mix that through the dressing. That is – for me – the preferred way to use the anchovies. That way the salty taste is what you get but not so much the fishy taste. (which I don’t like) But again: the choice is all yours.
Which lettuce to use for the caesar salad?
Originally this was romaine lettuce. That is also the lettuce I used here. If you cannot find romaine, it is easy to replace by buttercup lettuce or something like little gem. But originally a caesar salad was made with romaine lettuce. It’s nice and crunchy which is what you want here.
How to make the caesar salad?
Making of the salad is super simple. I usually start by roasting the bread. I’ve used some baguette here, but you can also use croutons. Again, leave the anchovies out if you want. I also used prosciutto here but you could replace that for bacon.
Chicken is also an ingredient you will find often in caesar salads and that is definitely a good choice to add.
You cook the eggs however you like your eggs cooked and you divide the romaine lettuce over four plates. Arrange the other ingredients on the plate and mix the ingredients for the dressing. I like to do that using a stick blender. Especially if you’re using the anchovies you want to use a stick blender, to make sure it blends perfectly. Don’t use all 8 anchovies in the dressing though!
Serve quickly
As with all kinds of lettuce you do not want to make this too far ahead of serving. It takes not much more then 15 minutes to make so there is no reason to leave it standing out. You can make the dressing ahead of time to save minutes. But add the croutons at the last minute as those will get soggy if left on the salad for too long.
Caesar salad
Equipment
- Stick blender
Ingredients
- 8 slices baguette thin
- 8 white anchovie
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 4 eggs
- olive oil for brushing
- 2 baby cos romaine lettuces halved
- finely grated parmesan to serve
parmesan dressing
- 150 gr mayonnaise
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, place the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, water, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Toast the bread and the prosciutto in either grill or on the stovetop until crispy and golden brown. You can rub the toasted bread briefly with a sliced garlic for some extra flavor and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some seasalt on top.
- Place the lettuce, egg, prosciutto, anchovies (if using) and parmesan in a plate and drizzle with the dressing. Serve the rest along side the salad
Nutrition
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
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