Bruce’s Caesar Salad

This recipe was an inspiration from all those terrible Caesar salads eaten in all the nameless restaurants we’ve visited over the years.  This is a real Bruce creation and is seriously kicked up (to steal Emeril’s word).

Ingredients:

2 cans anchovies in olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 egg (optional)
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard (we use an Oregon-made mustard: Barhyte’s smokey garlic.  It’s worth trying if you can find it.)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Fresh ground black pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
1/2 sliced preserved lemon (or lemon zest)
1 large head romaine lettuce
Green or black olives for garnish

Method:

Mince garlic cloves in a garlic press.  Remove anchovies from can and pat dry with paper towels.  Mince the anchovies through the garlic press.

Work the garlic and anchovies to a paste in a mixing bowl.  Mix  in lemon juice and add olive oil stirring a little at a time to emulsify.  Mix  in the mustard, the Tabasco, and the Worcestershire each separately.

Add preserved lemon or lemon zest, cheese, and black pepper to taste.   You can add the egg at this point if  you are using.  The consistency of the dressing should be slightly runny.

Wash the romaine and place whole leaves in a fan arrangement on a large platter.  Drizzle the dressing over the leaves.  Serve with additional cheese and garnish with olives.

Or, you can shred or tear the lettuce into pieces and serve tossed with the dressing.    Shrimp, seared scallops or roasted chicken are always good with Caesar salad.

Another prep method we’ve discovered is to grill the romaine on the barbecue and then serve with the dressing.  You’ll need about 1 head of romaine per person for this method due to the wilting of the lettuce on the grill.