Food Wine Sleep

Ingredients List

Lettuce & toppings
300 g (10 oz) romaine lettuce, well washed and patted dry, torn by hand into bite size pieces
40 g (1 1/3 oz) Parmesan cheese, I like the cheese shaved, but it can be grated, for garnish
30 g (1 oz) bacon bits, crispy
30 g (1 oz) croutons
Table-side Preperation
3 anchovies, mashed to paste
1/2 lemon, juice only, squeezed
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. garlic mashed or very finely chopped
1 egg yolk
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
pepper from the mill
salt
1 tbsp. bacon bits
1 1/2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbsp. virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
Caesar dressing (yields approximately 500 ml)
15 g (1/2 oz) garlic, cloves mashed or chopped very finely
20 g (2/3 oz) anchovy fillets, drained off the oil, mashed
15 g (1/2 oz) Parmesan cheese, grated
2 pc egg yolk
5 ml (1/6 fl oz) Worcestershire sauce
240 ml (8 fl oz) vegetable oil, good quality pure vegetable oil
5 ml (1/6 fo oz) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
90 ml (3 fl oz) virgin olive oil
90 g (3 oz) Dijon mustard
60 ml (2 fl oz) red wine vinegar
salt
pepper from the mill

Recipe Description

Caesar salad is perhaps the most popular and wide spread salad anywhere. I don't think I have worked in an establishment where Caesar salad wasn't served in one form or another. Invented by the Italian Caesar Cardini, in a restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. The story is, that on a holiday weekend in 1924 supplies were running short and in a last minute improvisation Caesar said to one of his staff: "Take all of these ingredients to the table and make a real ceremony out of preparing that salad. I want the guest to feel that they are getting the house speciality prepared for them". So it happened and perhaps the most famous of salads today was born, "prepared a la minute" in an improvised setting.

I love that story, mainly because I believe that we chefs excel so much when the pressure is on and the heat levels are up in our kitchens. It just brings out the best in us.

Below are both recipes, the one for "a la minute" (table side preparation in front of your guest) and the recipe for the ceasar dressing prepared ahead of time.

Whichever method you prefer, once the salad is tossed it needs to be sprinkled with Parmesan, bacon bits and croutons.

Method Description

For table side preparation
In your salad bowl combine the anchovies, garlic and the Dijon mustard. Mix well, then add the egg yolk, Parmesan cheese and season well.
Combine well, stir vigorously until slightly foamy.
Add the virgin olive oil in a slow stream while keeping the mixture in motion, this will prevent the dressing from splitting.
Add the red wine vinegar little by little whenever the mixture is getting too thick and alternate until both the red wine vinegar and the virgin olive oil are fully incorporated.
Season with the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
Toss with the romaine leaves and ensure all leaves are well coated. Place the leaves on the serving plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings, bacon bits and croutons.

For the dressing
In a blender, puree all solid ingredients with the red wine vinegar.
Add the egg yolks and slowly add the vegetable oil and virgin olive oil to the mixture while the blender is rotating on medium speed.
Toss with the romaine leaves with the prepared dressing ensuring that all leaves are well coated.
Place the leaves on the serving plate and sprinkle with the Parmesan shavings, bacon bits and croutons.