This is a recipe for Caesar Salad. The only reason I’m putting up a recipe is because I made this from scratch (this refers mostly to the dressing) for the first time a couple months ago, and I discovered that the difference between your normal restaurant caesar salad and the real deal is big big big. This thing is delicious, and should be made by everybody.
The reason for the restaurant-salad vs. made-from-scratch salad gap is 1. most restaurants do not put anchovies in the dressing, which you should do, and 2. no restaurants put raw eggs in the dressing, which you also have to do. So here’s how it goes.
1. Get some romaine lettuce. You know how this goes. Wash and dry.
2. Preheat your oven to 350. Get a piece or two of bread and chop it up into cruton-sized bits (you can guess what’s about to happen). Put the bits on a baking sheet and toss them around with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stick that in the oven for ten minutes, or however long it takes for them to toast a little bit.
3. Get one large egg to room temperature. Put a small pot of water on the stove and get it boiling, then place the egg in for 45 seconds. Take it out. You have just “coddled” an egg! Let it cool down.
4. Now you are ready to get this dressing together. Here’s how it goes:
A. Mince a big clove of garlic and throw it in a bowl. Then add 1 tablespoon of deli mustard, a splash or so of Worcestershire sauce, half a lemon’s worth of lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Now crack your coddled egg in and whisk that all together.
B. Get one of those tins of anchovies where the filets are rolled around capers. Take three out of the tin and mince them. Throw that in as well and whisk again.
C. Pour 1/3 cup olive oil in VERY SLOWLY, and whisk more or less furiously the whole time. This will emulsify the oil, i.e. not allow it to separate out from the eggs and other stuff.
D. You have made a delicious caesar dressing.
5. Throw crutons, lettuce, some parmesan cheese, and dressing into a bowl. Toss it up and eat it.
