For it to be called a true "Caesar salad", this world-famous salad must be dressed with its signature sauce. While it is possible to purchase a ready-made dressing, there is no way to match the goodness of fresh ingredients. This article will show you how to prepare and season Caesar salad to perfection; moreover, it will be able to stimulate your culinary imagination with some variations of the classic recipe.
Ingrediants
Seasoning
- 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of anchovy paste (or 2-4 anchovy fillets)
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper, ½ teaspoon (2 ml) of both
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) of Worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons (50 ml) of mayonnaise (or 2 egg yolks)
Salad
- 1 head or 3 hearts of romaine lettuce
- 25 g of grated Parmesan cheese
- 75 g of croutons
Croutons of bread
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 rustic loaf
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Prepare the Dressing
Step 1. Mash the anchovy paste with garlic in a bowl using the back of a fork
If you want a milder-tasting sauce, you can use anchovies in oil. Drain 2-4 fillets, then chop finely before mixing them with the garlic.
For convenience, you can prepare the dressing a day in advance. In this case, keep it in the refrigerator in a glass container
Step 2. Now stir in the oil, grated Parmesan, vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce
Combine the ingredients with a fork or small whisk. If you want the sauce to have a citrus note, you can replace the vinegar with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Step 3. Slowly add the mayonnaise
Keep stirring to evenly incorporate it into the sauce, which should take on a creamy consistency. If you want you can replace the mayonnaise with two egg yolks for a more traditional recipe. However, remember that eating raw eggs puts you at risk of food poisoning.
For added safety, boil the whole eggs for about a minute, then dip them in cold water to cool them. Once cold, April, separate the yolks from the whites, then pour them into the sauce
Step 4. Taste the dressing
If necessary, add more salt, pepper, vinegar, or lemon juice, depending on your personal taste. Adjust the flavor and acidity of the recipe as you prefer, adding small gradual amounts of the desired ingredients, so as not to risk overdoing it. Once ready, set the sauce aside.
Part 2 of 4: Making the Salad
Step 1. Remove the base of the salad head and throw it away
Tear off the leaves gently, removing any spoiled, damaged or wilted parts.
To reproduce the classic recipe exactly, use lettuce hearts instead of a whole head. In this case it will not be necessary to chop the leaves. This is the original Caesar salad preparation
Step 2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves carefully
Rinse them individually under cold running water to remove all traces of impurities. Shake them to get rid of excess water, then dab them with a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively, you can use a salad dryer.
The leaves must be completely dry. The dressing does not stick to the wet salad
Step 3. Cut the salad leaves
Stack them on top of each other, then cut them lengthwise with a sharp knife. At this point, cut them horizontally into pieces of about 5 cm.
If you have chosen to use lettuce hearts, you can skip this step
Step 4. Transfer the lettuce to a large bowl
This will be the container you need to season it in, so make sure it's large enough to hold all the ingredients and allow you to mix. If you intend to add extra ingredients, remember to take this into account.
Step 5. Pour the grated Parmesan and croutons into the bowl with the lettuce
Initially, add 25g of cheese and 75g of croutons. Remember that nothing prevents you from changing the doses according to your preferences.
- If you don't have Parmesan available, you can replace it with another hard cheese, such as pecorino or hard ricotta.
- For an ideal result, try making croutons from scratch. Click here to learn how.
Step 6. Season the salad only when serving
The amount of seasoning depends on your preferences. Most people choose to only lightly coat the leaves to prevent too much liquid from accumulating at the bottom of the dish.
- Remember that if you add the seasoning too early, the croutons will become mushy.
- If you have prepared the salad in advance, store it separately from the sauce by placing both containers in the refrigerator.
Step 7. Season the salad making sure all the leaves are veiled in sauce
Use salad servers to mix. Move the leaves at the bottom of the bowl upwards, then add a little more seasoning if necessary. Continue mixing and seasoning until you get a uniform result.
Step 8. Serve the salad immediately
Once seasoned, you cannot wait too long before eating the Caesar salad, otherwise the toast will acquire an unsightly mushy texture and the dressing will slide to the bottom of the plate. If you need to serve several diners, consider dividing the salad into plates and then seasoning and decorating them individually. The presentation will be much better.
You can embellish the dish by adding a lemon wedge
Part 3 of 4: Prepare the Croutons
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 230 ° C
Plan to prepare the croutons half an hour before the meal time. They will need to have time to cool down.
Step 2. Cut the loaf in half horizontally, then remove the crust
Start by dividing the bread in half, as if you want to use it to make a sandwich. At this point, use the knife to remove the crust. Try to keep the bread as intact as possible. By removing the crust, you will give your croutons a more even texture and appearance. Plus, you'll allow them to cook evenly.
Step 3. Make bread cubes about half an inch on each side
Start by cutting it into slices, then stack some on top of each other and then cut them into small pieces.
Step 4. Melt the butter
You can melt it in a saucepan using the stove or in the microwave. In any case, be careful not to heat it too much, to prevent it from turning black.
Step 5. Mix the extra virgin olive oil and melted butter in a large bowl
Pour the butter into the container, then add the oil. Mix the two ingredients using a simple fork. Make sure the bowl is large enough to hold the croutons.
Step 6. Season the croutons in the bowl
Pour them into the container, then use the salad servers to move them from bottom to top, just like you did with lettuce. Keep stirring until seasoned evenly.
Step 7. Season them with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
Add the spices to the bowl, then resume stirring to distribute the flavors evenly.
Step 8. Arrange them on a baking sheet (approx.30x43cm)
Make sure you distribute them evenly without overlapping each other. If there are too many, toast them several times, avoiding overfilling the pan.
Step 9. Bake the croutons in the oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown
Once ready, remove them from the oven and let them cool. As soon as they are completely cold, you can add them to the Caesar salad.
Part 4 of 4: Variations to the Classic Recipe
Step 1. Enrich the Caesar salad with grilled chicken
Thin 450g of chicken breasts with the meat tenderizer to give them a thickness of about 3 millimeters. Season the meat with a tablespoon of Caesar salad dressing, then add salt and pepper to taste. Grill the chicken on both sides for 3-4 minutes. Once cooked, let it cool, then cut it into thin, bite-sized strips. Spread it over the ready-made salad.
Step 2. Add some shrimp to add a summery note to the dish
First, remove the shells and intestines from 450g of fresh shrimp. Brush them with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle them with a spoonful of the spice blend suggested below. You can store the remaining mixture in an airtight container. Skewer the shrimp with wooden or metal skewers, then grill them for 2 minutes on both sides. Wait until they have completely cooled before spreading them over the ready-made salad. To prepare the spice mixture, you will need:
- 2 ½ tablespoons of paprika;
- 2 tablespoons of salt;
- 2 tablespoons of garlic powder;
- 1 tablespoon of black pepper;
- 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder;
- 1 tablespoon of dried oregano;
- 1 tablespoon of dried thyme.
Step 3. If you are a beef lover, grill a steak and add it to the salad
Preheat the grill (if you use a gas barbecue, medium heat is sufficient, if you use a hot plate you will need intense heat) while making the sauce. Mix the Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil in a small mixing bowl, then sprinkle the mixture on both sides of the steak using a pastry brush. It is preferable to use a sirloin steak weighing about 650-900 g, about 2-3 cm thick. Leave the meat to marinate for about ten minutes, then grill it on the grill for about 4-6 minutes per side. Once cooked, transfer it to a plate and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice it thinly, in the opposite direction to that of the fibers. Spread it over the ready-made salad.
If you wish, you can further flavor the meat before cooking using a mixture of spices of your choice or simply some coarse salt and pepper
Step 4. Try replacing lettuce with cabbage
Select 1 or 2 small clumps, then remove the central leathery part. Lay several leaves on top of each other, then roll them up on themselves. Slice the rolled leaves into thin strips, no wider than a finger. Unroll them and transfer them to the bowl to season them. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
Step 5. Personalize the Caesar salad without upsetting it
Remember that what characterizes this recipe is the seasoning; by adding too many tasty ingredients, the sauce will lose its predominance. Choose up to two additional elements, preferring those with acidic or delicate notes.
Step 6. Replace the Parmesan in the sauce with a different cheese
For example, you could try using gorgonzola (sweet or spicy). Last but not least, remember that by using freshly squeezed lemon juice instead of vinegar you can add a fresher and more citrus note to your Caesar salad.
Advice
- If you want this salad to become a complete meal, add some grilled chicken, shrimp or tuna. Plate the salad individually, then add the chosen ingredient on top of the others. In this case you can also increase the amount of salad, proportionally increasing all the other doses as well.
- A large head of romaine lettuce should be enough to make four servings of Caesar salad, two small heads should do the same. Quantify the doses needed according to your needs.
- Place the olive oil in the refrigerator for a few hours before making the Caesar salad. The cold oil takes on a denser consistency, a condition that allows it not to separate from the other ingredients of the sauce.
- Once you have become familiar with the recipe, you will be able to modify the doses of the ingredients according to your personal preferences. For example, you can add more garlic or less anchovy paste.
Warnings
- The original recipe calls for the addition of raw egg yolks. To reduce the risk of food poisoning (salmonella) use pasteurized eggs.
- Pregnant women, infants, young children and those suffering from health problems should not eat raw eggs.
