You are going to want to try this. I mean
it. When I first heard of grilled Caesar salad, I don’t know why I thought
twice. But, I certainly did, because… who puts lettuce on a bbq?! Having said that, now that I know what
grilled lettuce is like, I don’t know if normal, non-grilled salad will ever be
the same.
If you don’t want to try the grilling and
don’t want to make your own crisps, then please do me (and yourself) a favour
and use this dressing recipe anyway…You can kaput any Caesar recipe you know
and just use this dressing because it is simply fantastic. An alternative salad that I make quite frequently uses this dressing on
romaine lettuce, with aged white cheddar pedals, crisped spicy capicollo ham,
croutons and fresh lemon.
Since this dressing uses three different
vinegars, and quite a few of other ingredients, I think it might be a good time
to bring up a common issue I hear from my fellow wanna-be-great cooks…the long
list of ingredients is a barrier because you likely don’t have all of them and
you end up having to go to the store and hunt for a bunch of things and rack up
a big bill.
I know. The only solution I can offer on
that is the more recipes you try...the more ingredients you have! Next time you
see a recipe that uses three vinegars, no problem! If there is any time to
spend a little time in the market and to challenge old favourites, now is that
time!
You will love this crowd-pleasing-slash-wowing
recipe, adapted form Leslie Stowe.
Parmesan
Crisps
6 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup olive oil
Baguette (to make as many crisps as you
like (I usually serve two per person), sliced very thin (1/2 cm) on the
diagonal – easier to slice if it is day old
Parmesan, finely shredded – enough to
generously top each crisp
Salad
Romaine hearts (with loose outer leaves
removed, core attached), halved or quartered depending on the size
Optional - Prosciutto, bacon or other ham –
chopped and crisped
Lemon to garnish
Ground black pepper to taste
The
Ultimate Caesar Salad Dressing
1/2 tsp hot sauce, like Tobasco or Franks
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 egg
4 cloves or garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup olive oil
1. Heat oil and garlic in a small saucepan
over medium heat until just simmering, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let
rest for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 250F. Lay the baguette
slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush the tops with garlic oil.
Reserve the remaining oil. Generously top each slice with parmesan cheese and
bake until edges are starting to brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and
set aside to cool.
3. In a blender, combine all dressing
ingredients except olive oil and pulse to mix. With the blender running,
drizzle the oil in slowly to emulsify. Leave dressing in blender until your
lettuce comes off the grill. Pulse a few times to remix before drizzling over
salad.
4. Heat your bbq to high. Brush each
romaine heart with garlic oil. Grill each side of the romaine hearts about 10
seconds. Serve the grilled hearts with 2 Parmesan crisps and drizzle with
dressing. Top with fresh ground black pepper and put a lemon wedge on the side.
Serve and prepare to take your praise!
