Whole Leaf Caesar Salad Recipes

CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• Put the whole romaine leaves in a work bowl. Add enough of the dressing to coat the leaves and toss well. Arrange the leaves in a serving bowl with their tips up, and intersperse the pizzetta's, if desired. Sprinkle the Parmesan over all.
• Place the egg yolk, mustard, anchovies, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce into a salad bowl. Blend with whisk and then add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until it is fully incorporated. If the dressing stops gets too thick, add the warm water and then continue until all the oil is added. Add the cheese and continue to blend.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Stir the garlic into the tapenade. Separate the ready made/store bought pizza dough into 1 1/2-ounce pieces and roll them out to 1/8-inch (if possible, roll out to desired thickness by using a pasta machine). Cover the top of the rolled out dough with olive paste and garlic mixture. Sprinkle the thyme on top. Lay the pecorino on top of pizzetta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bake the pizza for 15 minutes or until light brown (a cracker like thinness and texture). Let cool for about 10 minutes, and serve.

HAND HELD CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• To make croutons: Cut off crust from French bread.
• Slice lengthwise into 1 cm thick slices.
• Rub slices on both sides with garlic clove and brush with olive oil.
• Cut slices into long strips and place on a baking sheet.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes or until croutons are dry and crisp.
• Cool and place on a serving dish.
• Wash lettuce, removing any wilted or tough parts of leaves.
• Place whole leaves on a platter.
• Crumble pancetta or bacon into a small serving bowl.
• Place grated cheese in another small serving bowl.
• Pour dressing into a squeeze bottle (if using a homemade version).
• To serve the salad, hold one lettuce leaf in your hand.
• Layer lettuce with a crouton, crumbled pancetta, cheese and dressing.
• Wrap up sides of the lettuce leaf and eat!

JULIA'S CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• Preparing the salad components:
• You will probably need 2 large heads of romaine for 3 people - or use a commercially prepared package of "romaine hearts," if they appear fresh and fine. From a large head remove the outside leaves until you get down to the cone where the leaves are 4 to 7 inches in length - you'll want 6 to 8 of these leaves per serving. Separate the leaves and wash them carefully to keep them whole, roll them loosely in clean towels, and keep refrigerated until serving time. (Save the remains for other salads - fortunately, romaine keeps reasonably well under refrigeration.
• To flavor the croutons, crush the garlic clove with the flat of a chef's knife, sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and mince well. Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil on the garlic and mash again with the knife, rubbing and pressing to make a soft purée.
• Scrape the purée into the frying pan, add another tablespoon of oil, and warm over low-medium heat. Add the croutons and toss for a minute or two to infuse them with the garlic oil, then remove from the heat. (For a milder garlic flavor, you can strain the purée though a small sieve into a pan before adding the extra croutons. Discard the bits of garlic.)
• To coddle the egg, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer. Pierce the large end of the egg with a pushpin to prevent cracking, then simmer for exactly 1 minute.
• Mixing and serving the Caesar:
• Dress the salad just before serving. Have ready all the dressing ingredients and a salad fork and spoon for tossing.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the romaine leaves and toss to coat, lifting the leaves from the bottom and turning them towards you, so they tumble over like a wave. Sprinkle them with a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, toss once or twice, then add the lemon juice and several drops of the Worcestershire, and toss again. Taste for seasoning, and add more, if needed.
• Crack the egg and drop it right on the romaine leaves, then toss to break it up and coat the leaves. Sprinkle on the cheese, toss briefly, then add the croutons (and the garlicky bits in the pan, if you wish) and toss for the last time, just to mix them into the salad.
• Arrange 6 or more leaves in a single layer on individual plates, scatter the croutons all around, and serve.

CLASSIC RESTAURANT CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• Mash garlic with anchovies in a large salad bowl. Whisk lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, egg yolk, and Worcestershire sauce into the anchovy mixture until mixture is smooth and creamy. Gradually whisk olive oil into the dressing, pouring the oil into the dressing in a thin stream while stirring constantly. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Gently mix romaine lettuce and Parmesan cheese into the dressing until thoroughly coated; serve salad topped with croutons.

CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• Combine the anchovies, black pepper and a half-cup of the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Puree about five minutes until very smooth. Add the grated Parmesan and blend briefly to combine. Measure and reserve one-third cup of the anchovy mixture for use with the croutons.
• Bring a small saucepan water to a boil. Place a refrigerated egg on a slotted spoon and submerge in boiling water. Cook one-and-a-half minutes, remove from the water and reserve.
• Puree the garlic with the remaining half teaspoon of olive oil in a blender, or mash together with a mortar and pestle.
• Place the garlic and the remaining dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk in the anchovy mixture. Crack open the egg and spoon it (including the parts that are uncooked) into the mixture. Whisk until well combined.
• Combine the reserved anchovy mixture with the diced bread in a bowl and toss to coat. Heat a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the croutons, stirring constantly until golden and crisp.
• Wash and dry the lettuce. Discard the tough outer leaves and break the remaining leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place in a salad bowl along with the dressing and toss well. Add the toasted croutons, toss again and serve.

CAESAR SALAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350° F. Spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and bake, tossing them once or twice so they cook evenly, until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove and cool. (The croutons may be prepared up to a day in advance. If necessary, recrisp them in a 350° F oven for a few minutes.)
• If using whole heads of romaine lettuce, remove the darker outer leaves to expose the pale-green center. Reserve the outer leaves for another use, if you like. Cut out the core and separate the hearts of romaine into individual leaves. Wash the leaves in a sink of cool water and drain them well, preferably in a salad spinner. Place the leaves in a large bowl, cover them loosely with damp paper towels, and store in the refrigerator up to 8 hours.
• Combine 2 tablespoons vinegar, the lemon juice, garlic, and anchovies in a blender or the work bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, adding some of the 1/3 cup olive oil if there isn't enough liquid to move the mixture around the blender jar. Add the mustard, hard-boiled egg yolk, salt, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and remaining olive oil if any. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the dressing; if it's a little too tangy, pour in a splash or two of olive oil and blend until it's incorporated.
• Stack the leaves in a large, preferably wooden serving bowl. Bring the bowl to the table and, using a salad fork and spoon, cut the leaves into 1-inch pieces, as used to be done tableside at Italian-American restaurants. (Of course, you can cut the leaves with a knife beforehand.) Pour the dressing over the salad, add a splash of vinegar and a healthy splash of olive oil, and toss until all the leaves are coated with dressing. Toss in the croutons and ground black pepper to taste. Lastly (so it doesn't clump), sprinkle the grated cheese over the salad, tossing as you add. Serve on chilled plates and, with a vegetable peeler, shave some of the block of Parmigiano-Reggiano over each serving.