04.12.07

Caesar Salad

Posted in home cooking, food at 9:59 pm by wingerz

This is one of my restaurant favorites. Decided to de-mystify it by making it at home. The garlic croutons were incredibly good, and the dressing was pretty authentic-tasting. I got to use some anchovy paste that Jess and Cy gave me for Christmas.

Caesar Salad
From America’s Test Kitchen’s The New Best Recipe

Garlic Croutons
2 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups 3/4-inch bread cubes from 1 baguette or country loaf

Broiled Chicken Breasts
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper

Caesar Dressing
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
4 anchovy fillets, minced to a paste (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
2 medium heads romaine lettuce (large outer leaves removed) or 2 large romaine hearts, washed, dried, and torn into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 10 cups lightly packed)
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. For the croutons: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the garlic, salt, and oil in a small bowl, let stand 20 minutes to infuse the flavors, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet; bake, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet to room temperature.
2. For the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Adjust an oven rack to 6 inches from the broiler element; heat the broiler. Spray the broiler pan top with vegetable cooking spray; place the chicken breasts on top and broil until lightly browned, 4 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken over and continue to broil until the thickest part is no longer pink when cut into and registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. For the dressing: Bring 2 inches water to boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Lower the eggs into the water and cook 45 seconds; remove with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, crack the eggs open; reserve the yolks in a small bowl and discard the whites. Add the lemon juice, Worcestershire, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, the garlic, and anchovies, whisk until smooth. whisking constantly, add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.
4. To finish the salad: In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, Parmesan, and about two thirds of the dressing to coat; divide evenly among individual plates. Remove the tenderloins from the chicken breasts; place in the bowl used to dress the lettuce along with the remaining dressing. Cut the chicken breasts crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, add to the bowl, and toss to coat. Divide the dressed chicken evenly among the plates, arranging the slices on the lettuce. Sprinkle each plate with a portion of the croutons and serve immediately.

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