Caesar Salad
When Roscius was an actor in Rome, he probably didn’t actually eat this salad. Most accounts of this standby salad trace its invention back to a Tijuana restaurant and the 1920s, where it was first served by a man named Caesar Cardini. But, as these things go, if you ever have something named after you, make sure you don’t have the same name as someone more famous than you.
This is my take on the classic Caesar salad. Anchovy-intense, with soft-boiled eggs in place of the usual raw eggs. This is not done out of any particular paranoia about eating raw eggs, it’s just that I’ve made this recipe with eggs all the way from raw to hard-boiled and about 4 minutes seems to be where the best flavor is.
The Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- Crutons
- Caesar salad dressing
- Black pepper to taste
Break up the lettuce head and wash the leaves in cold water. Pat dry and refrigerate until serving.
When dinner comes along, combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl and serve.
Croutons
- About 3 cups of good, crusty bread, cut into large cubes
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 crushed garlic cloves
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Place the bread cubes on a large baking sheet and cook until lightly toasts, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and garlic together in a large skillet.
Add the toasted bread crumbs to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until the croutons are browned and crispy.
Caesar Salad Dressing
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 soft-boiled eggs
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- One 1.5 ounce jar of anchovies
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Remove the soft-boiled eggs from their shells with a spoon. Place the eggs, along with the other ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Chill before serving.
