Cooking Corner

Caesar Salad

4 Portions – The recipe is as I would make it. You can alter as you wish to make you happy.

Ingredients:

2 to 4 garlic cloves – This is raw garlic. Fresher is stronger. Use your best judgement for quantity.

4 anchovy filets – You will not taste these in the dressing, but will add to the salt flavour profile

10 Capers – again salt flavour profile

1 tablespoon finely diced onion

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire

Several squirts of Tabasco

1 Egg yolk to bind the dressing and create an emulsion

1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

6 tbsp Olive Oil

2 Heads Romaine Lettuce – To chop, cut lengthwise twice, ¼ turn cut twice more. Then cross cut in ½ inch pieces. Fill sink or bowl with water and submerge the lettuce to clean. Then scoop out and dry – Salad spinner or in a tea towel spin it outdoors. Dry lettuce best.

½ Lemon

Croutons – your choice how many

Bacon – cook in oven on baking sheet on parchment paper or tin foil. Cook until crispy but not burnt. Cut into larger pieces not bits. Larger pieces will give you more flavour and texture.

Parmesan cheese – normally I would only use fresh grated parmesan in my recipes, but in this case the store bought is good. It’s last thing you add. It will soak up dressing that allows you to get the texture just right. Use as much or as little as necessary to get it to your liking.

Method 1 – Vinaigrette dressing

You will be using a large mixing bowl. Best is unvarnished wood or Glass bowl or stainless steel.

1. Rough cut garlic buds – Into bowl with a bit of salt. Crush up with a fork and mush it with back of spoon

2. Anchovies and oil – crush with fork, mash with spoon

3. Capers – fork and spoon treatment

4. Finely chopped red onion – fork and spoon treatment

5. Add Mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, egg yolk, vinegar, oil – MIX with spoon and fork

6. Add Romaine and squirt juice of half lemon onto lettuce – Toss

7. Add Croutons – Toss – Add Parmesan cheese and bacon – Toss

Note: The dressing and some excess water on the lettuce will result in the salad being somewhat wet. The croutons and parmesan serve to get the salad to the texture that you prefer.

Method 2 – Creamy dressing

Take all of the ingredients except the oil, mix in a blender, food processor or use a hand-held emulsifier. Then add the oil slowly to create an emulsion / creamy dressing.

To finish, in a large bowl, repeat steps 6 & 7 above.