Killer Caesar Salad
My Infamous Caesar Salad has been know by family and friends for decades. I experienced my first table side Caesar Salad back in the late 80’s at La Vie n Rose on the Berlin Turnpike. I was blown away… asked the waiter for the recipe and have been mashing forks in a large Vermont hand-carved wooden bowl ever since. More recently,
I found a great version in Unionville CT, made table-side by a native New Orleans Restauranteur transplant named Matthew at his upscale restaurant of the same name.
His version was slightly different but amazing all the same. I always enjoyed our conversations as I watched his moves carefully in order to improve my skills. By chance, Lisa and I were there for dinner the night after Matthew passed away suddenly. He will be missed by many who enjoyed his stories and his creole inspired cuisine. As an homage to the former owner, his 2 large Wooden Caesar Salad bowls still adorn the new space refreshed by Cure which has recently opened in its place.
Matthew dazzling with Bananas Foster.
So my recipe below comes from years of study and has been adapted for a lower carb lifestyle and a quicker and creamier execution as we make this recipe weekly. If you’re lucky, you will have some extra dressing for a lunch Caesar salad the next day. I usually add some prosciutto di parma for my leftover lunch version.
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 7 anchovies
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1.5 tbsp mustard powder ( dijon mustard is also an option)
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg yolk - coddled
- 1/4 cup EV olive oil
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1.5 cups grated and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 10 fried pork skins (chichamarrones)
- 2 hearts of romaine
- In a mini-prep processor add the garlic, anchovies, ground pepper, and lemon juice.
- Blend until well combined.
- Add oregano, mustard powder, worcestershire sauce, and egg yolk.
- Blend until well combined.
- Drizzle olive oil and then avocado oil slowly as you blend until creamy.
- In a large bowl - tear lettuce, by hand only to large bite sized pieces. Discard green tops.
- Grate 1 cups of the Parmigiano cheese. Shave the other 1/2 cup - set aside.
- Toss the salad with dressing until well coated.
- Add the grated Parmigiano - toss well.
- Sprinkle the red wine vinegar and toss again.
- Add the shaved Parmigiano - toss well.
- Add the croutons - fried pork skins - break them each in 2.
- Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Serve right away.
- To make it a meal on its own add sliced grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp or steak.
- Extra dressing may be enough for a lunch salad the next day - so nutrition info per serving may be off (high) a bit.
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TQSI
November 13, 2015
Adam, I know your salad is wow, but … Some of us cannot eat any fish products. Do you have a replacement for the anchovies?
Adam Levy
November 15, 2015
Hello TQSI – You can leave out the anchovies and you will still have a great salad. Just add a tsp of kosher salt or 4 Kalamata Olives to add the salt that would be missing from the anchovies. Be sure to see if you can still use worcestershire sauce as anchovies are part of its magic. There are worcestershire sauce alternatives online if you need.
Jodi
March 7, 2017
Lily is a ceasar salad lover and I told her that you make the best, so we’ll be giving your updated version a try. (Although she may need a few croutons…)