Caesar Salad Recipe

Caesar Salad

Recipe by Jackie Cameron

The savoury kick from a Caesar salad is a great start to any meal as it stimulates the salivary juices. Over the years this dish has evolved into a typical everyday table salad. Disgraceful, if you ask me! This is a grand serving of food that was created in 1924 by an Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, at a restaurant in Tijuana Mexico. It was traditionally prepared at the table, with the greatest attention to detail and, today, it should be made with respect for its longevity. Interestingly, the original recipe was without anchovies… which suits me perfectly. The crisp romaine lettuce leaves, crunchy herbed croutons, salty capers, rich-creamy dressing and finely shaved parmesan makes this my favourite salad. The textures excite my palate. I often add sautéed bacon and onion or sliced sesame chicken breast or smoked salmon to this enticing salad. Scrumptious.

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

Dressing

3 Egg Yolks

1 Medium Garlic Clove

10 ml Dijon Mustard

125 ml Olive Oil

125 ml Sunflower Oil

30 ml Lemon Juice

15 ml Water

4 pieces or 40 g of Back Bacon (rind off)

½ medium or 60 g chopped Onion

10 g Capers

10 ml Worcestershire Sauce

20 g finely grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1) Whisk the yolks, garlic, mustard until pale yellow

2) Add the oils very slowly to this mixture to allow it to emulsify. If added too quickly the mixture will split.

3) Finish with lemon juice and water. Set aside

4) Place the chopped bacon into a hot pan. Add onions and sauté until well caramelised. Add a drop of oil if need be.

5) Chop the capers roughly

6) Add the cooled onion-bacon mixture, capers, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan to the dressing and season well. Set aside

Salad

Yields : 4

Ingredients :

2 packets Lettuce

230 g Onion-chopped

16 slices or 155 g Back Bacon – chopped

80 g shaved Parmesan or to taste

4 slices of Bread

30 ml chopped Herbs ( Rosemary, Thyme and Chives)

45 ml Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

20 Caper berries or Capers

Method :

1) Place bacon into a hot pan and sauté. Add onion and cook very well. Set aside

2) Croutons – Cut bread slices up into neat squares with the crusts off. Mix herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil and pour over the bread squares. Oven dry until crisp and crunchy. Set aside

3) Make salad up with the lettuce leaves, onion-bacon mixture, parmesan shavings (chef’s note: use a potato peeler to get your shavings), croutons and capers. Serve with caesar dressing on the side and maybe some extra olive oil and even a lemon wedge.

Please post your comments and any food-related questions below.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Jackie Cameron
Head Chef
Hartford House
www.hartford.co.za
jackie@hartford.co.za
+27 33 263 2713