My Caesar Salad

caesar7

This is my SECRET, SPECIAL, MOST REQUESTED AT FAMILY FUNCTIONS, DELICIOUS recipe for Caesar Salad.

Why has it taken me 2 years to post it?

Because I have always felt that I needed to keep some recipes a secret, and because I have never been able to get a photo of it!



I don't usually measure ingredients, so these are approximate. You may like more or less anchovies or more lemon juice, so taste as you go.



Stacey's Caesar Salad: (you can double this for a crowd)

2 heads of Romaine lettuce

1/2 can flat anchovies, chopped fine (you can use more if you like)
1 heaping tbsp of Hellman's REAL mayo (instead of a raw egg)
juice from half of a lemon
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (my secret ingredient!!!!)
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup of good mild flavored olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano curls for the top



Croutons:

Italian bread, cubed
olive oil and garlic powder (yes, I said garlic POWDER)

First make your croutons. You can do this in the a.m. and keep in a sealed container until you are ready to use.



In a bowl, toss your bread cubes with a little olive oil to coat and sprinkle garlic powder all over.
Bake in a 375F oven for about 12 minutes until crisp.

For the dressing, mix all ingredients in a bowl and slowly whisk in olive oil at the end until desired consistency.

I buy the romaine hearts that come 3 to a bag. This way, all I have to do is cut off the bottom cores and slice 2" thick pieces.



If you are not buying the 3 pack, then take your heads of romaine, and trim outer leaves and cores and keep only the bright crisp green pieces.

The key to a good salad is to keep the greens COLD and add the dressing JUST BEFORE SERVING!
There is nothing worse than eating a warm salad with soggy greens.



Another trick I use is that I wash my greens ahead of time, and keep them in the fridge with a damp paper towel covering them so they stay nice and crispy.



I got a little snazzy during the holidays and added some pretty red treviso for color, but I don't do that as a rule.

Just before serving, pour dressing over greens and mix well, add Parmesan curls on top or mix in with the dressing.
Grind black pepper over the top!

Enjoy!








Comments

Kristen said…
That is great! Looks Yummy-
where is your egg salad recipe? :)
Bob said…
I love a good Caesar salad and that looks great! Glad you decided it didn't need to be secret anymore. ;)
kat said…
Oh, thanks for sharing your secret!
The JR said…
Yes, thank you for sharing! Wonderful salad. I love the cheese curls!
Foodiewife said…
Me want now. This is my favorite salad. How's the boo boo healing?
So, I just bookmarked this! I never make Caesar dressing from scratch - but this looks amazing...um, this is going on my to do list and I'll u know how it comes out.
noble pig said…
I love secret recipes and this is a must try for me.
Ciao Chow Linda said…
I can see why it's so requested - looks like a winner.
Positive InLook said…
This is a nice recipe. Wondering why you're using mayo instead of raw egg. Do you have concerns about the raw egg? Rick Perry scratchchef.com
Looks sooo good! I will try it(minus the anchovies, I am not brave!:)) I've been adding a little spinach to my caesars to add some nutrition and color.
How's you finger? Is it all better?
I love caesar salad, but you know I'm not crazy about anchovies, sort of like the way you feel about sundried tomatoes!
Estrella Damm said…
Sounds wonderful. I'm always looking for a way to make Caesar salad more interesting.
Lori Lynn said…
I'm glad you shared it. Sounds excellent. Good idea the mayo in place of a raw egg.
LL
Michele said…
Hi Stacey. I think I'm going to make this salad for my dinner group on Saturday. I don't use anchovies too much so I think I'll buy the paste in the tube. How much do you think I should use? I don't want an overly fishy taste and I'll only need enough for 4 people.