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CLASSIC CAESAR SALAD
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A friend of mine told me that she met the daughter of Caesar Cardini, the creator of the original Caesar salad, and the daughter said that there were no anchovies in the real, honest-to-goodness, original Caesar salad. Well, that might be so, but these days, anchovies are universally expected (and a very tasty addition – even if you think you don’t like anchovies) so they remain in this adaptation of a very old James Beard recipe. I will say that he does call for a lot of anchovies in this recipe, so use fewer, if you're faint of heart (or while you get used to it).
I urge you to PLEASE try including anchovies in the recipe – it’s very likely that they add a certain flavor that you’d never have recognized – before deciding, out of hand, to eliminate them. (I am that way about licorice – and never would have included the liqueur called Pernod in bouillabisse, for example – until I realized that it works wonders – and the dish does not taste like licorice! The liqueur just adds something spectacular to the taste of the whole.)
In any event, the “classic” way to prepare Caesar Salad is ingredient-by-ingredient, as described here. It makes for a very impressive table-side presentation. Have each ingredient measured and arranged in advance (croutons toasted, bowl rubbed with garlic, greens washed, chilled and torn, placed into the bowl) then begin adding the remaining ingredients in the order given, and serve. Looks great – tastes even better!
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SERVES 4-6, GENEROUSLY
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4 thick slices of French bread, cut into cubes
4 tablespoons, butter
2 tablespoons, olive oil (good quality, fruity, full-flavored)
4 garlic cloves – crushed [divided use]
1 large (or 2 small) heads, romaine lettuce
8 tablespoons, olive oil (in addition to above 2 tablespoons)
24 anchovy fillets – drained on paper towels, and diced
juice of one lemon – or to taste
salt – if needed
freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1 egg – coddled for 1 minute [see * below]
grated/shredded Parmesan cheese to taste (about 1/2 cup)**
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To make the croutons:
In a skillet, melt the butter with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté 3 of the garlic cloves over very low heat, until they become soft and begin to color. Add the bread cubes and continue to cook (now over medium heat), turning the cubes until they are golden brown on all sides (Remove the garlic during cooking if it begins to brown too much, otherwise, remove it at the end of toasting the croutons.) Set aside the croutons until needed.
*To coddle the egg:
Using a slotted spoon, lower a large egg (at room temperature) into rapidly boiling water. Allow egg to simmer for 1 minute. Remove egg to a small cup and set aside until needed.
**Parmesan cheese:
As always, the best cheese will make the tastiest result. Use aged parmigiano-reggiano, if your budget permits.
To compose the salad:
Rub a glass or wooden bowl with the remaining crushed clove of garlic. Add the romaine lettuce – torn into pieces. Toss with the 8 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss in the remaining ingredients in the order given, squeezing the lemon through a cheesecloth or over a strainer to prevent seeds from falling into the salad, and breaking the egg shell to add the egg (the helps to emulsify the dressing).
Serve immediately.
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Variations:
Poached chicken breasts, boned and skinned (or very simply grilled chicken breasts], torn into pieces, may be added to salad for a heartier main-course salad. [See the Basic Reference for poaching chicken directions, at the top of the Teaching Segments page on this site.]
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