Caesar Salad

Where This Goes Wrong

Use whole or halved leaves rather than shredded lettuce. The original was eaten with fingers.

If the dressing splits, whisk a fresh pasteurised yolk in a clean bowl and add the split mixture to it drop by drop.

How to Make Caesar Salad

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1. Toss the torn bread with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and bake at 190°C / 375°F for 12 to 14 minutes, turning once, until golden but still slightly chewy in the middle.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

2. Rub the hot croutons with the cut garlic clove while they are still warm and set aside.

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3. Pound the anchovies and garlic to a paste in a mortar, or mince them very finely.

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4. Whisk the egg yolks with the anchovy paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.

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5. Add the olive oil literally a few drops at a time at first, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and holds. Then add the rest in a slow, steady stream.

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6. Whisk in the grated Parmesan and black pepper. The dressing should be thick enough to coat a leaf and cling.

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7. Wash and dry the romaine leaves thoroughly — a wet leaf will not hold dressing.

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8. Toss the whole leaves with the dressing in a large bowl, using your hands so every leaf is coated inside and out.

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9. Pile onto plates, scatter with croutons and shaved Parmesan, and finish with flaky salt and more pepper.

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Related guide: Rescuing a split sauce.

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Why the Method Works

The dressing is a mayonnaise: egg yolk lecithin emulsifies the oil into a stable cream, and adding the oil drop by drop at the start is what keeps it from splitting. Anchovy provides glutamates that read as savoury depth rather than fishiness, which is why the dressing tastes rich rather than of anchovy.

Leftovers, Reheating and Keeping

The dressing keeps 3 days refrigerated. Croutons keep 2 days in an airtight tin. Dress the leaves only at the moment of serving.

Changing the Recipe

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Serving Caesar Salad

• A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Chablis
• Serve as a starter, or add grilled chicken for a main
• Follow with grilled fish

The Numbers per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

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