Ingredients
| FOR THE DRESSING | |
| 2 large egg yolks | |
| 6 anchovy fillets or 2 tablespoons capers, drained, finely chopped | |
| 2 garlic cloves, finely grated | |
| 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste | |
| 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste | |
| 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste | |
| 60ml olive oil | |
| 60ml rapeseed (canola) oil | |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| FOR THE SALAD | |
| 60ml olive oil | |
| 4 anchovy fillets, or to taste | |
| 60g panko breadcrumbs | |
| 1 garlic clove, finely grated | |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| 1 head romaine lettuce or 2-3 heads Little Gem lettuce, ends trimmed, leaves torn or cut into large pieces | |
| a hunk of Parmesan cheese, for shaving or grating |
This Caesar was born from always wishing that the dressing were less mayonnaise-y and more of a vinaigrette, creamy without being heavy, punchy without preventing you from wanting to lick the whole bowl. I wanted a true dressing, meant to evenly coat each leaf in a bowl, versus a dip or a thick, spoonable sauce. So while the list of ingredients will seem familiar, the ratios likely differ, and you might notice there isn’t grated cheese in the dressing – I prefer to shower it on top. It’s garlicky and tart, full of anchovies (but capers really are an honest-to-god good stand-in), and you would really miss the Worcestershire sauce if you had to skip it – the flavour is a little salty, a little sweet, and unmistakably ‘Caesar’.
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Instructions
| 1. | MAKE THE DRESSING: |
| 2. | Whisk the egg yolks, anchovies or capers, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. |
| 3. | Gently whisk in the olive and rapeseed oil. |
| 4. | Season with salt and so much pepper it really ought to be in the recipe name. |
| 5. | Taste and season with more mustard, lemon or Worcestershire as you like. (The dressing should be very acidic.) |
| 6. | If you find it too punchy or too thin, whisk in a few more tablespoons of olive oil. |
| 7. | MAKE THE SALAD: |
| 8. | Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over a medium heat. |
| 9. | Add the anchovies, stirring just to melt. |
| 10. | Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat in the oil. Keep tossing or stirring until the panko is evenly coated and turning a nice golden brown, 4-5 minutes. |
| 11. | Remove from the heat, add the garlic and toss it in the warm crumbs, just to take the edge off. |
| 12. | Season with salt and pepper; let cool. Place the greens in a large bowl and add half of the dressing. |
| 13. | Toss well, season with more salt, pepper or dressing as you see fit. |
| 14. | Shower with cheese and breadcrumbs, tossing to encourage both to settle into the nooks and crannies. |
| 15. | If you’re me, top with more anchovies. |
This is an edited
extract from
Something from
Nothing by Alison
Roman, published
by Quadrille.
Photography by
Chris Bernabeo.