Caesar Salad

History: The salad's creation is generally attributed to restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in Mexico and the United States. His daughter Rosa recounted that her father invented the salad at his restaurant Caesar's (at the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana, Mexico) when an Independence Day (4th July) rush of trade in 1924 depleted the kitchen's supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing "by the chef“.

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 10 mins

Cuisine: North America

Courses: Starters & Salads

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 2

Ingredients

Dressing

2 garlic cloves
2 anchovy fillets
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
250 ml mayonnaise
25 g Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp milk

Croutons

1 slice white bread
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt

Salad

50 g streaky bacon
95 g romaine lettuce
Parmigiano Reggiano

Optional - Chicken / Egg

1 egg
125 g chicken breast fillets

Instructions

Dressing

1
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
2
Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano Reggiano, salt, pepper and whisk until incorporated. Taste and adjust as you desire. Set aside for 20 minutes to develop and enhance the flavours.
3
The dressing will be fine if kept covered and in the fridge for up to 1 week.
4
Place the bacon into a cold, and dry pan, then turn onto a medium high heat. Cook until the fat renders and it becomes golden, turn the rashers and repeat. Place onto kitchen roll and cool, then crumble so the pieces are not uniform in structure or appearance.
5
For the croutons preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Toast the bread 1 minute simply to crisp the surface. Rub the cut garlic gently over both sides of the bread with the exception of the crusts as we shall remove them. Dice the bread to create circa 1 cup. Drizzle with 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil, and bake until golden, shake the baking tray once throughout the process.
6
Place the lettuce in a bowl with ½ the dressing. Toss well, taste, then adjust accordingly.
7
Transfer to a serving bowl and top with chicken and / or egg (optional). Scatter over with bacon and croutons. Sprinkle the grated with parmesan and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Servings 2

Amount Per Serving
Calories 628.98kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 61.06g94%
Saturated Fat 8.45g43%
Sodium 858.65mg36%
Total Carbohydrate 11.21g4%
Dietary Fiber 1.55g7%
Sugars 3.09g
Protein 9.52g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.