Caesar Salad

[Mikey]

Provided by request, here is my take on this classic that was acutally invented in Tijuana.

As usualm, my measurements are not always exact. Use your own taste and judgement.

I have started here with my crouton recipe. If you're going to go to the trouble to make this delicious salad, why ruin it with lousy store-bought croutons in a box? Besides, once the aroma of these croutons starts emanating from the oven everybody's mouths will be watering until the salad actually gets served up.

Anybody else has any variations or suggestions, please post them (as if you wouldn't unless I asked...)

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Croutons

Start out with some sliced sourdough bread (or any other Italian or French style bread). Cut it into ½” to ¾” squares – don’t bother removing the crust. Dump the pieces into a large plastic Tupperware or similar bowl. Drizzle enough EVOO into the bowl to coat the bread squares. Snap the cover on the bowl and shake it and roll it until the EVOO is evenly distributed.

Spread the oil-coated bread onto a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the whole pile with some garlic powder, sea salt, Kraft grated parmesan cheese (the kind that comes in a green can) and some paprika. I usually add all this stuff to the bowl and shake before adding the EVOO, but I don’t think it makes a lot of difference.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven at about 300 to 350 degrees. Leave it in there until the croutons are browned and crispy – no soft chunks left. This may take about 20 minutes or longer. Toss everything around every 5 minutes or so to distribute the seasonings and make sure that it all gets evenly toasted.

I usually leave the oven door open a crack to help let the moisture out. Don't know if this really speeds things along or not, but it doesn't seem to hurt.


Dressing

Get a small can of anchovy fillets. Drain the oil out and chop the fillets into small pieces. Put them into a medium sized glass mixing bowl. I usually add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste as well. Some people don’t like anchovies, but as far as I’m concerned it’s not Caesar dressing without them.

To the anchovies add:

1 tbs Grey Poupon mustard
Juice from 1 large juicy lemon
1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
A couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Mayonnaise equivalent in volume to one large egg

The bible says to use a "coddled" egg instead of the mayo but I have it on good authority from Foghorn Leghorn that if you coddle your eggs they grow up to be wimpy cocks.

The coddled egg is more authentic than the mayo and showy if you're making this at the table, but a pain in the ass and it really doesn’t affect the result much.

Mix all these ingredients with a fork or wire whisk. Add about a cup of EVOO and mix again until thoroughly blended. Add some fresh ground black pepper to taste. At this point you can taste it and add more lemon juice or EVOO depending on how strong you want the acidity.

You can make the dressing well in advance and save it in the fridge.


Salad

Use only romaine lettuce. Cut into large or small pieces, whichever you prefer. Rinse it and spin it dry.

Get a chunk of real Parmesan cheese (not the cheap shit you used for the croutons) and grate a couple of cups worth. You can add some grated Romano as well if you want. Dump the lettuce into a large wooden salad bowl. Pour on some dressing. Add the croutons and a bunch of the cheese, and toss.

Once it’s served you can grate some more pepper on each serving if you want, and sprinkle some more cheese on top.

Enjoy.

[Goober McTuber]

Get a small can of anchovy fillets. Drain the oil out and chop the fillets into small pieces. Put them into a medium sized glass mixing bowl. I usually add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste as well. Some people don’t like anchovies, but as far as I’m concerned it’s not Caesar dressing without them.

You do realize that the original recipe did not include those nasty little fishes?

[Mikey]

Get a small can of anchovy fillets. Drain the oil out and chop the fillets into small pieces. Put them into a medium sized glass mixing bowl. I usually add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste as well. Some people don’t like anchovies, but as far as I’m concerned it’s not Caesar dressing without them.

You do realize that the original recipe did not include those nasty little fishes?

Your Google skilz are astounding.

[Mikey]

So, the anchovies are completely unauthentic. Sucks to be me I guess.

I prefer to use anchovies instead of adding salt.

But that's just me.

[indyfrisco]

Mikey,

What are your thoughts of using pasturized eggs as opposed to raw eggs in order to avoid the health issue?

Also, a suggestion to try sometime...this is what I do.

I like to get the grill flaming hot. Then, I take the heads of romaine and split them lengthwise. Throw them on the grill split side down for about 30 second. Puts a nice char on them. Then, cut it up and put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to cool it back down.

Char-grilled Caesar Salad is good chit, mang.

Oh, and I'm down the the chovies, but just not the whole can. In fact, I just use the paste and a little bit of it as I am not a huge chovies fan. I will try your dressing though because you can't knock it till you try it. The croutons sound great. I will try your crouton recipe, but instead of the squares, I would rather cut long thin strips of the bread at an angle. More surface area to crisp up which is my favorite part of the crouton, the crunch.

[Goober McTuber]

Get a small can of anchovy fillets. Drain the oil out and chop the fillets into small pieces. Put them into a medium sized glass mixing bowl. I usually add a teaspoon or two of anchovy paste as well. Some people don’t like anchovies, but as far as I’m concerned it’s not Caesar dressing without them.

You do realize that the original recipe did not include those nasty little fishes?

Your Google skilz are astounding.

So is my memory. I used to make Caesar Salads in a somewhat upscale restaurant. Upscale for Madison, Wisconsin, that is.

But yeah, it does suck to be you.

[Mikey]

Mikey,

What are your thoughts of using pasturized eggs as opposed to raw eggs in order to avoid the health issue?

Also, a suggestion to try sometime...this is what I do.

I like to get the grill flaming hot. Then, I take the heads of romaine and split them lengthwise. Throw them on the grill split side down for about 30 second. Puts a nice char on them. Then, cut it up and put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to cool it back down.

Char-grilled Caesar Salad is good chit, mang.

Oh, and I'm down the the chovies, but just not the whole can. In fact, I just use the paste and a little bit of it as I am not a huge chovies fan. I will try your dressing though because you can't knock it till you try it. The croutons sound great. I will try your crouton recipe, but instead of the squares, I would rather cut long thin strips of the bread at an angle. More surface area to crisp up which is my favorite part of the crouton, the crunch.

I'll have to try that, though I can't imagine char-grilled romaine. One of the best things about the Caesar salad is the fresh-sweet-crispness of the lettuce. But like you say...can't knock it...

The anchovies can get a little strong. You just have to make sure you don't overdress the salad. But that really goes for any salad. You don't want to loose the flavor of the greens by putting too much dressing on it.

[Goober McTuber]

I have a dressing that I prefer to Caesar’s. A creamy Italian.

Mix:
Mayonaise
Fresh crushed/chopped garlic
Basil
Oregano
Fresh grated Parmesan

Thin to barely pourable with half-and-half.
Chill for an hour or two, shaking occasionally.

[Mikey]

You do realize that the original recipe did not include those nasty little fishes?

Your Google skilz are astounding.

So is my memory. I used to make Caesar Salads in a somewhat upscale restaurant. Upscale for Madison, Wisconsin, that is.

But yeah, it does suck to be you.

Did you use whole romaine leaves, pointing the stem ends out, to be eaten with the fingers?

Because, of course, that's the real authentic way of fixing it, isn't it?

[Mikey]

I have a dressing that I prefer to Caesar’s. A creamy Italian.

Mix:
Mayonaise
Fresh crushed/chopped garlic
Basil
Oregano
Fresh grated Parmesan

Thin to barely pourable with half-and-half.
Chill for an hour or two, shaking occasionally.

No vinegar, lemon juice or anything else to give it an acidic bite? That doesn't sound very Italian.

[Mikey]

Mikey,

What are your thoughts of using pasturized eggs as opposed to raw eggs in order to avoid the health issue?

I'm not really all that worried about the health issue (I know that Dinsdale would prolly die of salmonella just by looking at that stuff though). I just find that the mayo works fine without having to go to the trouble to boil water for the coddled egg.

[Goober McTuber]

You do realize that the original recipe did not include those nasty little fishes?

Your Google skilz are astounding.

So is my memory. I used to make Caesar Salads in a somewhat upscale restaurant. Upscale for Madison, Wisconsin, that is.

But yeah, it does suck to be you.

Did you use whole romaine leaves, pointing the stem ends out, to be eaten with the fingers?

Because, of course, that's the real authentic way of fixing it, isn't it?

I never said we made it authentic. I was the salad person. We used anchovies. I didn’t care for them, and had a discussion with the chef. Not trying to change the recipe, just expressing my distaste for anchovies and how they made the salad inedible for me. He explained the whole thing about the traditional recipe, Tijuana, and what not. Not a big deal.

You’re pretty sensitive.

[Goober McTuber]

I have a dressing that I prefer to Caesar’s. A creamy Italian.

Mix:
Mayonaise
Fresh crushed/chopped garlic
Basil
Oregano
Fresh grated Parmesan

Thin to barely pourable with half-and-half.
Chill for an hour or two, shaking occasionally.

No vinegar, lemon juice or anything else to give it an acidic bite? That doesn't sound very Italian.

Mayonaise contains lemon juice, Guido. If you'd like more, feel free to modify the recipe.

[indyfrisco]

Mikey,

What are your thoughts of using pasturized eggs as opposed to raw eggs in order to avoid the health issue?

Also, a suggestion to try sometime...this is what I do.

I like to get the grill flaming hot. Then, I take the heads of romaine and split them lengthwise. Throw them on the grill split side down for about 30 second. Puts a nice char on them. Then, cut it up and put it back in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to cool it back down.

Char-grilled Caesar Salad is good chit, mang.

Oh, and I'm down the the chovies, but just not the whole can. In fact, I just use the paste and a little bit of it as I am not a huge chovies fan. I will try your dressing though because you can't knock it till you try it. The croutons sound great. I will try your crouton recipe, but instead of the squares, I would rather cut long thin strips of the bread at an angle. More surface area to crisp up which is my favorite part of the crouton, the crunch.

I'll have to try that, though I can't imagine char-grilled romaine. One of the best things about the Caesar salad is the fresh-sweet-crispness of the lettuce. But like you say...can't knock it...

The anchovies can get a little strong. You just have to make sure you don't overdress the salad. But that really goes for any salad. You don't want to loose the flavor of the greens by putting too much dressing on it.

Well, I said 30 seconds before. Prolly closer to 15-20 seconds. The lettuce does not wilt. It just chars the slit side enough to give a slight grilled taste to the salad. Worth a try.

[trev]

My Caesar dressing:

1 clove garlic
1/2 C olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp worchestershire
1/2 C plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 to 3/4 C parmesan
salt
pepper

[Mikey]

Trev, do you put the parmesan in the dressing, or do you sprinkle it on the salad?

[trev]

I process everything together then toss with romaine and croutons. I guess you could set some parm aside and sprinkle that on.

[indyfrisco]

You're still a dick.

Says the douche with this avatar.

[Mikey]

As far as I'm concerend, you could archive this thread, lock your forum, and call it the "Ceasar Salad" forum.

You still have a dick.

Yes, and I would suggest you stop fantasizing over it.

[smackaholic]

mikey, I thought fat smack was the only kinda smack allowed here. tighten this place up a little, will ya.

[OCmike]

Just made the world-famous Mikey/Mike hybrid caesar dressing again for a work potluck tomorrow. Oh...my...God and G0D that stuff is amazing. I double everything but the anchovies and garlic, add a half cup of olive oil and then tweak it a bit to taste.

This recipe has totally killed restaurant Caesar Salads for me though. Maybe 10% measure up, even at more pricey places.

[Mikey]

Nice to see somebody taking this stuff to heart. What your're doing here is basically toning it down a little, which I sometimes do as well. All of my "recipes" are subject to adjustment to fit the user's taste. Thanks for posting this.

Do you make your own croutons? It's a little time consuming, but worth it if you have the time. I don't always do it myself.

[smackaholic]

I like your take on recipes. They are merely starting points.

Been trying to convince the OL of this. She apparently thinks the food police will drop out of black helicopters, throttle you and throw you in a dungeon if you do so much as alter quantities in a recipe.

Think I'll give it a shot, with the anchovies. Don't much care for them, but, I just like being opposite of tube goober.

[Mikey]

Been trying to convince the OL of this. She apparently thinks the food police will drop out of black helicopters, throttle you and throw you in a dungeon if you do so much as alter quantities in a recipe.

In some cases it's true. Like baking (which I pretty much avoid) to me is some kind of edible alchemy where if you add a little bit too much or too little of something it's likely to either explode or turn into a solid piece of rock-like substance.

But when it comes to flavors you pretty much have to just make it however it tastes best to you. On a lot of stuff I ease up on the salt at first 'cause I don't like too much salt and you can always add more if you want. My wife doesn't like hot spicy stuff too much and black pepper can sometimes give her coughing fits. So a lot of the time I'll ease up on that stuff, or else make two separate batches.

[smackaholic]

sometimes the dago in me takes over and decides that a recipe is a little weak on garlic, by, ohhh, about 10X.

next thing you know I got a pot of garlic sump'in or other that nobody else will touch. So, I get to eat it for 4 or 5 days straight.

[indyfrisco]

sometimes the dago in me takes over and decides that a recipe is a little weak on garlic, by, ohhh, about 10X.

Rack.

I'm that way too with garlic. I use 2 heads of it in my red sauce which when all is said and done ends up being about 2/3 gallon per batch. Try this out:

60 oz. Tomato Sauce
30 oz. Tomato Paste
15 oz. water
3 T sugar
2 heads garlic minced (I just process mine in the Magic Bullet)
2 T Italian Seasoning
1/2 cup grated parm from the green can (Kraft)
1 cup shredded parm (from bag)
1 T sea salt
2 T pepper

Heat up large pot, coat bottom with olive oil and toss in garlic. Cook garlic but don't butn. Then lower heat and toss in all remaining ingredients. Stir well until consistency is the same. Bring to a boil, keep stirring. Then lower heat and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep lid on to reduce splatter.

Seems like a lot of tomato paste, but I like my sauce thick so it sticks to pasta better. I take penne and load it up with this sauce, put a layer of motzerella on it, and grate fresh parm reg on top. Convect bake at 400 for 25 minutes. If no convect oven, bake aat 400 for 25 minutes and then broil for like 3-4 minutes until top is browned. I also use this sauce for my pizzas.

[indyfrisco]

as opposed to raw eggs in order to avoid the health issue?

Coddled eggs aren't raw. They are cooked in hot (but not boiling) water.

Ok, so I used the wrong word. Not the first time and not the last time. Undercooked is what I should have said. Not raw.

Anyhow, from Wiki:

Because coddled eggs are not boiled, some people may be concerned of the risk of salmonella and other bacteria.

The health issue is all I was referring to.