Caesar salad is the kitchen child of the French. Trust me, until you’ve had true, authentic Classic Caesar Salad, the way the French prepare it, you have not yet experienced the real thing.

Classic Caesar Salad Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 anchovies packed in oil, oil drained off, patted dry, and minced (any true Classic Caesar Salad has to include anchovies!)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 mini baguette, cut into 3/4″ cubes
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns, to taste
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese (don’t scrimp on this ingredient, use a fine quality aged Parmesan Reggiano cheese, and grate it fresh for the salad)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mash the minced anchovies into a paste, then set aside.

Make the croutons-

1. Combine the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat
2. Cook, swirling the pan now and then, for 5 minutes.
3. Take pan off the burner and pour contents into a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add the parsley and bread cubes and and toss, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Arrange the seasoned and buttered bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet bake until golden brown and crisp – about 10 minutes should do it. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

To make the dressing-

1. Bring a small saucepan of full of water to a vigorous boil.
2. Lower the egg gently into the water, then remove the pan immediately from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes.
3. Drain and rinse the egg under cold water, and then crack it into a large bowl.
4. Whisk in the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, anchovy paste, the vinegar and mustard powder until smooth.
5. Lastly, in a slow, steady stream, whisk in the olive oil, until emulsified.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Assembling and Serving the Classic Caesar Salad-

1. Add serving sized portions of the lettuce, croutons and about 2 oz. of the grated cheese into each serving bowl with some of the dressing and gently toss, enough to lightly coat the lettuce and bread cubes.
2. Top each serving bowl with some more grated cheese, and 2 or 3 full anchovie fillets.
3. Classic Caesar Salad goes great with a good quality dry white wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc.

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