A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Created by Chef Remy
Crisp, cold romaine piled high with sliced blackened chicken still warm from the skillet, draped in creamy homemade Caesar and crowned with shatteringly crisp parmesan crisps, the kind of salad that makes you forget you're eating your vegetables.
Asalad should never apologize for itself. That's why I've been serving this blackened chicken Caesar at Lagniappe for fifteen years, and it outsells every appetizer on the menu. The secret is treating it like a real dish, not a punishment for overindulging last weekend.
The blackening is where the magic lives. You build your own spice blend with paprika, cayenne, garlic, and herbs, then sear the chicken in a screaming hot cast iron until the spices bloom and caramelize into a crust that's almost bitter at the edges but sweet and complex underneath. The chicken stays juicy because that crust seals everything in. Fast and hot, that's the bayou way.
Now here's what separates a church potluck winner from a sad desk lunch: you make your own Caesar dressing. I add a touch of Creole mustard to mine for depth and a whisper of heat that plays off the blackened chicken. And those parmesan crisps? They take five minutes and they'll make people think you trained in a French kitchen. You didn't. You trained with me, and we keep things honest around here.
My grandmother Evangeline used to say that the best cooks are the ones who make simple things taste like they took all day. This salad looks impressive, tastes bold, and comes together in thirty minutes on a Tuesday night. That's the kind of cooking I want to teach you.
Quantity
1 1/2 pounds (about 3 medium)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 tablespoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
freshly ground
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, or more to taste
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons
Quantity
4 tablespoons
melted
Quantity
2 large heads
washed and chopped
Quantity
1 cup, divided
freshly grated
Quantity
4
Quantity
2
minced
Quantity
2
at room temperature
Quantity
2 tablespoons
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
3/4 cup
Quantity
to taste
freshly cracked
Quantity
1 cup
for croutons
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| boneless, skinless chicken breasts | 1 1/2 pounds (about 3 medium) |
| smoked paprika | 2 tablespoons |
| garlic powder | 1 tablespoon |
| onion powder | 1 tablespoon |
| dried oregano | 1 teaspoon |
| dried thyme | 1 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1 teaspoon |
| white pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| cayenne pepper | 1/2 teaspoon, or more to taste |
| kosher salt | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| unsalted buttermelted | 4 tablespoons |
| romaine lettucewashed and chopped | 2 large heads |
| Parmesan cheesefreshly grated | 1 cup, divided |
| oil-packed anchovy fillets | 4 |
| garlic clovesminced | 2 |
| large egg yolksat room temperature | 2 |
| fresh lemon juice | 2 tablespoons |
| Dijon mustard | 1 teaspoon |
| Creole mustard | 1 teaspoon |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 teaspoon |
| extra-virgin olive oil | 3/4 cup |
| black pepperfreshly cracked | to taste |
| crusty bread cubes (optional)for croutons | 1 cup |
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon tablespoon-sized mounds of half the grated parmesan onto the parchment, spacing them two inches apart. Flatten each mound gently with the back of the spoon. Bake for five to seven minutes until golden and lacey around the edges. They'll look too soft when you pull them out, but they crisp as they cool. Let them sit on the pan for two minutes, then transfer to a plate.
Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl. Stir it all together with a fork until uniform. This makes more than you need for the chicken, which is the point. Store the extra in a jar for next time. Taste a tiny bit on your fingertip. The heat should wake you up but not hurt.
Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound them to an even three-quarter-inch thickness using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Even thickness means even cooking, which means no dry edges while you wait for thick centers to finish. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. Wet chicken steams instead of searing.
Brush both sides of each chicken breast with melted butter. The butter serves two purposes: it helps the spices adhere, and it creates that characteristic blackened flavor when it hits the hot pan. Coat each breast generously with the blackening spice, pressing it into the meat with your hands. You want a thick, even layer. Don't be shy.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat for at least five minutes. You need that pan screaming hot. When you hold your hand six inches above the surface and can only stand it for two seconds, you're ready. Add the chicken breasts. You'll see smoke, and you'll hear an aggressive sizzle. That's right. That's the spices blooming. Cook without moving for four to five minutes until a dark crust forms and the chicken releases easily from the pan.
Flip the chicken and cook another three to four minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the second side develops the same dark, aromatic crust. The spices should look almost black in spots but smell incredible, toasty and complex. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for five minutes. This is not optional. The juices need time to redistribute.
While the chicken rests, make your dressing. Mash the anchovy fillets and minced garlic together on your cutting board with the flat side of your knife, working them into a paste. Scrape the paste into a medium bowl. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Creole mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until smooth.
Add the olive oil in a very slow, steady stream while whisking constantly. Start with drops, then graduate to a thin ribbon as the emulsion builds. The dressing should become thick, creamy, and glossy, coating the back of a spoon. Stir in the remaining half cup of parmesan and season with cracked black pepper. Taste it. Adjust the lemon juice or salt as needed. This is your dressing. It should taste bold enough to eat with a spoon.
Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl. Add about half the dressing and toss with your hands until every leaf is coated. You want the lettuce dressed, not drowning. Divide the dressed greens among four plates or pile it all on one big platter for family style. Slice the rested chicken against the grain into half-inch strips. Fan the slices over each portion of greens.
Drizzle additional dressing over the chicken slices. Crack fresh black pepper over everything. Lean two or three parmesan crisps against the chicken on each plate. Serve immediately while the chicken is still warm and the lettuce is still cold. That temperature contrast is part of what makes this salad sing. Pass extra dressing at the table for the enthusiastic.
1 serving (about 400g)
Culinary guides, cultural storytelling, and the editorial depth that makes cooking meaningful.
Discover Culinary Explorer
Chef Remy
Spirals of tender rotini loaded with Cajun-spiced bacon, sharp cheddar cubes, and crisp vegetables, all bound together in a buttermilk ranch dressing with enough personality to make the church ladies ask for your recipe.
Chef Remy
Blackened chicken and smoky andouille tossed with rotini, the holy trinity, and a creamy Cajun dressing so bold it makes you the hero of every potluck and picnic table from here to Baton Rouge.
Chef Remy
Crunchy cabbage and carrots tossed in a bold, creamy remoulade spiked with Creole mustard, horseradish, and enough cayenne to remind you where you are, the kind of slaw that steals the show at every fish fry and summer cookout.
Chef Remy
Tender red potatoes dressed in a creamy, spiced dressing with crispy bits of smoky tasso ham, the holy trinity, and enough cayenne to remind you where it came from. The side dish that steals the show at every Louisiana cookout.