The Perfect Caesar Salad Came from Tijuana
Posted on 14 January 2009 by joy
A big, beautiful Caesar Salad is absolutely one of my favorite dishes.
You can find Caesar Salads at just about every restaurant you walk into these days, but finding an authentically delicious one is more of a challenge. Caesar Salads originated in 1924 when chef Caesar Cardini made the salad at his popular restaurant in Tijuana. The main ingredients are crisp Romain lettuce, egg yolks, garlic, anchovies, fresh croutons and high quality Parmesan cheese. For best results, prepare the salad in a giant wooden bowl and add warm croutons fresh from the oven.
The Perfect Caesar Salad
from Martha Stewart
If you don’t want to use raw egg yolks in your salad substitute one tablespoon of store bought mayonnaise. Don’t leave out the anchovies no matter how gross you might think they are. They add an amazing flavor and you won’t give them a second thought as part of an amazing salad.
- 6 slices (1-inch) ciabatta or another crusty white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
- Coarse salt (to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 to 5 anchovies
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 heads romaine lettuce, washed and dried thoroughly and torn into 2-inch pieces
- Grated Parmesan cheese (to taste)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-size bowl, toss bread cubes with remaining crouton ingredients. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toast croutons until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
- In a large wooden bowl, using a wooden spoon, mash halved garlic cloves to a fine paste. Stir in egg yolks and Dijon mustard. Add anchovies, and grind to a paste. Add lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Slowly stir in olive oil until dressing is creamy
- Add lettuce to bowl, and toss to coat leaves thoroughly with dressing and grated Parmesan. Sprinkle croutons over salad, and serve topped with Parmesan shavings.
