Classic Caesar Salad

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large wooden salad bowl
• •Salad spinner
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Vegetable peeler for cheese shaving
• •Whisk

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the romaine

   Strip away any bruised or wilted outer leaves from your romaine heads. Separate the remaining leaves, keeping the smaller inner leaves whole if they're under six inches long. Larger leaves should be torn into rough pieces, never cut. A knife bruises the edges and hastens wilting. Wash in very cold water, then spin dry with genuine aggression. Water clinging to leaves dilutes your dressing and prevents it from adhering. Wrap the dried leaves loosely in clean kitchen towels and refrigerate while you prepare everything else.

   Romaine hearts sold in packages work well, but whole heads from a farmers market offer superior crunch and sweeter flavor in the pale inner leaves.
2. 2

   Make the garlic croutons

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cut one garlic clove in half and rub it vigorously over the inside of a large mixing bowl, leaving behind a faint residue and perfume. Add the bread cubes to this bowl with four tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Toss until every surface glistens. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake twelve to fifteen minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crisp throughout. They should shatter when you bite them, not bend. Let cool completely on the pan.

   Day-old bread makes superior croutons. Fresh bread contains too much moisture and turns chewy rather than crisp. If your bread is fresh, cube it and let it sit uncovered for a few hours before baking.
3. 3

   Build the dressing base

   Mince the remaining garlic clove. Sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and use the flat side of your knife to mash it into a paste, dragging and pressing until no chunks remain. Transfer this paste to a large wooden salad bowl or wide mixing bowl. Add the anchovy fillets and continue mashing until you've created a smooth, fragrant paste with no discernible pieces. The garlic and anchovy should become one entity.

4. 4

   Create the emulsion

   Add the egg yolk, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the anchovy-garlic paste. Whisk vigorously until combined. Now comes the critical moment: begin adding the half cup of olive oil in a very thin stream, whisking constantly. The first few tablespoons are everything. Add them drop by drop while whisking without pause. Once the emulsion takes hold and the mixture looks creamy rather than separated, you can add the remaining oil in a slightly faster stream. The finished dressing should coat the back of a spoon and hold together when you tilt the bowl.

   If your emulsion breaks and looks curdled, start over in a clean bowl with a fresh yolk. Whisk in the broken dressing slowly as if it were oil. This rescue works every time.
5. 5

   Season and finish dressing

   Whisk the half cup of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano into the emulsion. It will thicken noticeably. Add the salt and pepper, then taste. The dressing should be assertive, almost too salty and too lemony, because the neutral romaine will absorb and soften these flavors. Adjust until it makes your mouth water.

6. 6

   Dress and toss

   Remove romaine from the refrigerator. Add leaves to the bowl with the dressing. Using your hands or two large spoons, toss gently but thoroughly, lifting from the bottom and turning, ensuring every surface receives an even coating. The leaves should glisten but not drip. Add about two-thirds of the croutons and toss once more to distribute.

7. 7

   Plate and serve immediately

   Divide the dressed salad among four chilled plates, arranging leaves with some artistry rather than dumping. Scatter remaining croutons over each portion. Using a vegetable peeler, shave generous curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each salad. Finish with another grind of black pepper. Serve within five minutes of dressing. There is no other option. A Caesar salad that has waited is a Caesar salad that has failed.

   Chilling your serving plates in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes helps maintain the romaine's crispness for those crucial first few bites.

Chef Tips

• •If raw egg concerns you, coddle the egg first: lower it into boiling water for exactly one minute, then immediately plunge into ice water. This partially sets the yolk while keeping it fluid enough to emulsify. The flavor difference is minimal.
• •Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy bears no resemblance to domestic parmesan in a green can. The real thing costs more and is worth every cent. Look for the words stamped into the rind.
• •A wooden salad bowl seasoned over years of Caesar-making develops a patina of garlic and oil that improves every subsequent salad. Never wash it with soap; wipe clean with paper towels and occasionally rub with oil.
• •For a heartier meal, top each serving with a grilled chicken breast sliced on the bias, or nestle in six grilled shrimp. The dressing welcomes protein.

Advance Preparation

• •Croutons can be made up to three days ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Re-crisp in a 350°F oven for five minutes if they've softened.
• •The dressing base without the egg yolk and oil can be prepared several hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and add yolk and oil just before serving.
• •Romaine can be washed, dried, and refrigerated wrapped in towels up to one day ahead. The leaves will actually crisp further from the cold.
• •Never dress this salad ahead of time. The acid in the lemon and the salt in the cheese will wilt the romaine within minutes. This is a salad that waits for guests, not the other way around.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 285g)