Classic Caesar Salad - Everyday Annie

It’s no secret around these parts that I love Caesar salad. I’ll never forget the time I first tried one. My family was on vacation and we were enjoying a girls’ night out at what was surely the fanciest restaurant I’d dined at up to that point in my thirteen years of life. I had been so excited for the meal but then was hit by a pretty severe stomachache just before we left for dinner. I sucked it up and went anyway, hoping I would feel better along the way. Unfortunately while we were ordering I still felt pretty bad so I just glanced over the salads and for no reason I can recall, I ordered a Caesar salad. When it arrived I took a few bites and before I knew it, my stomachache had disappeared. I’m sure it was coincidental timing, but it didn’t hurt that the salad happened to taste fabulous. I’ve been hooked ever since. Good thing no one told thirteen year old me there were anchovies in it.

I have a few variations of Caesar salads that I make depending on what ingredients we have on hand, but this is hands down my favorite. In fact, this is pretty much the only version I make anymore with regularity (except for in the past, when I have been pregnant and raw eggs were a no-no. Sadness.) The dressing is rich and luxurious without feeling heavy, and it pairs so well with fresh, crisp romaine leaves and our favorite croutons. A perfect compliment to almost any meal, at least in my mind.

Yield 8 servings*

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1 large clove garlic
2-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 anchovy fillets, patted dry with paper towels and mashed to a paste with a fork
2 large egg yolks
5 tbsp. canola oil
5 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
About ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
Freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

2 heads romaine lettuce, rinsed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
Croutons
Parmesan shavings
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

01
To make the dressing, grate the garlic clove with a microplane or zester to a fine paste in a small bowl. Mix in the lemon juice and let stand 10 minutes. Add in the Worcestershire sauce, egg yolks, and anchovies and whisk to blend. Whisk in the canola and olive oils until the dressing is emulsified. Add about ½ cup of the grated Parmesan, season with freshly ground black pepper, and adjust seasonings to taste.
02
Place the romaine in a large salad bowl. Add a small portion of the dressing initially and toss well to coat. Continue to add additional dressing little by little until the lettuce is coated to your liking. (It is very easy to overdo the dressing, so start slowly and add in small spoonfuls. You can always add more but you can’t take it away!) Toss with croutons and serve with shaved Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper, if desired.
03
*As written, this recipe makes a lot of salad. We find a half recipe to be more than enough for our family.

Source

Cook’s Illustrated via Cook Like a Champion