Caesar Salad - by Caesar Cardini
Why I Love This Recipe
The Caesar Salad is named after it's inventor Caesar Cardini, not Julius Caesar or Caesar Augustus, originally prepared tableside by Caesar himself in his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1920s-1940s. Contrary to popular belief, the original Caesar's salad recipe (unlike his brother Alex's Aviator's salad) did not contain anchovy; the slight whisper of anchovy flavor comes from the Worcestershire sauce. Cardini was opposed to using anchovies in his salad.
There is a Cardini's Caesar Dressing available in the Mega-Mart, however, due to modern manufacturing practices, it is now made with Soybean oil (my screaming arteries) instead of olive oil.
I am also pretty sure that this would work with something like egg beaters for those concerned about salmonella. I have not tried to use them though.
The dip in the 212 degree water will kill the Salmonella Enterica living ON the shell. I also dug this up on the CDC website regarding Salmonella Enteritidis (in the egg itself).
..... Only a small number of hens seem to be infected at any given time, and an infected hen can lay many normal eggs while only occasionally laying an egg contaminated with the Salmonella bacterium.
Ingredients You'll Need
CROUTONS:
2 cups of Day Old Italian bread cubed to 1/2 inch
Dry in a 325 degree oven (do not let them brown)
GARLIC OIL:
Pulverize 3 cloves of Garlic with
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
CODDLE EGGS:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
Prepare a bowl with water & ice
PREPARE BEFORE TOSSING:
1 Very large Bowl
2 Salad Tossers (one for each hand)
1 1/2 lemons – Halved with the seeds removed
Kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TB Extra Virgin Olive oil
9 Dashes of Worcestershire
10 Grinds of Black Pepper
1 1/2 oz of Parmagiano-Reggiano (not 'Parmesan', and PLEASE not the ‘Green Can’ that I grew up on)
2 heads of Romaine lettuce outer leaves removed (16oz); Core removed, Leaves separated, washed and dried (This allows the oil to adhere to the leaves) You can tear the leaves into smaller, more manageable pieces if desired. Keep well chilled until ready to toss.
Directions
CROUTONS:
Strain oil into a skillet over medium heat and fry the dried croutons, tossing until all oil is absorbed and the croutons turn golden brown. Set them aside (Try not to eat them while performing the next steps, I know it’s hard to resist warm croutons)
CODDLED EGGS:
Immerse 2 eggs in boiling water for 1 minute and 1 minute ONLY
Remove and immediately place in ice bath to stop cooking.
ARCHITECTING THE SALAD:
Place Romaine in Bowl and toss with 3 TB of the Olive oil, just enough to lightly coat the leaves.
Sprinkle with a pinch of Kosher Salt and 10 grinds black pepper and remaining 3TB olive oil and toss well.
Use a kind of rolling motion to move the leaves around, this minimizes bruising.
Squeeze the Lemon juice over the leaves as well as the Worcestershire and toss again, briefly.
Crack Coddled eggs over leaves and toss until the eggs create an emulsion of lemon juice and olive oil.
Your ingredients will achieve a creamy consistency, kind of very pale beige.
Grate the Parmagiano-Reggiano over and toss to incorporate.
Serve with Croutons on large Plates, with Prosseco or Asti… The Bubbles intensify the flavors
