Caesar salad

Name: Caesar salad
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Romaine lettuce 14.1 oz; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese shaved 1.8 oz; Stale bread homemade 5 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp; Egg yolks 1; Lemon juice 2 tsp; Lemon peel 1; Dijon mustard 1 ½ tbsp; Anchovies in oil 3 fillets; Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Chicken breast 1.3 lbs; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 5 min
Serving: 4 people
Cost: Low
Note ATTENTION: For the chicken version, consider its cooking time: 30-40 minutes

PRESENTATION

The Caesar salad is one of the most famous salads in the world! Why is it called Caesar Salad? It seems to have been invented in the 1920s by an Italian chef who emigrated to the United States, Cesare Cardini, and started as a side dish of romaine lettuce, golden croutons, and Parmigiano flakes. Over time, this recipe has literally traveled the world and has been enriched with other ingredients, such as grilled chicken breast or crispy bacon, thus becoming a delicious main dish. What must certainly not be missing is the dressing, a creamy sauce to dress the salad, flavored with mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, and, if desired, anchovies. Here we explain how to prepare the Caesar salad in both versions, with and without chicken: the first will be perfect for a fresh summer lunch, while the second is excellent to accompany your favorite dishes… the choice is yours and, of course, enjoy!

Also try the chicken Caesar salad on baby lettuce, a tasty single-serving variant, and these other iconic salads made in the USA:

Coleslaw
Waldorf Salad
Seven-layer salad

INGREDIENTS

Romaine lettuce 14.1 oz (400 g)

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.8 oz (50 g) - shaved

For the croutons: Stale bread 5 oz (150 g) - homemade; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the dressing: Extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp (50 g); Egg yolks 1; Lemon juice 2 tsp (10 g); Lemon peel 1; Dijon mustard 1 ½ tbsp (20 g); Anchovies in oil 3 fillets; Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

For the version with chicken: Chicken breast 1.3 lbs (600 g); Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Caesar salad

To make the Caesar salad first prepare the lettuce: separate the leaves from the stalk 1 and roughly chop them 2, then rinse them under running water and dry them with a salad spinner 3. Store the dry lettuce in the refrigerator, this way it will be crunchier. If you don't have a salad spinner, wash the whole leaves and dry them on a clean towel, then chop them and store them in the refrigerator wrapped in a dry, possibly spongy towel, inside a container, so that the excess moisture is absorbed.

Move on to the croutons: cut the homemade bread 4 into irregular cubes 5, then transfer them to a pan with a drizzle of oil 6.

Salt 7, pepper and toast the bread cubes over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Once golden 8, set the croutons aside. Obtain the flakes from the Parmigiano Reggiano DPO with the help of a potato peeler 9 and also set these aside.

Focus on the dressing: in a bowl, put the anchovy fillets 10, salt, pepper 11, and the grated lemon zest 12.

Add the mustard 13 and crush everything with a fork 14. Add the yolk 14 and the lemon juice 15, mixing well to incorporate them.

Now take a whisk and pour the oil in a thin stream while beating the mixture to emulsify it 16. Finally add the Worcestershire sauce 17 and mix again to blend it 18.

You're ready to assemble the salad: transfer the lettuce leaves to a large bowl 19, then add the bread croutons 20 and the Parmigiano Reggiano DPO flakes 21.

Pour the dressing 22 and mix well to evenly dress the salad 23. Your Caesar salad is ready to be served 24!

For the Caesar salad with chicken

To make the Caesar salad with chicken prepare the lettuce, croutons, Parmigiano Reggiano DPO flakes, and the dressing in the same way, then take care of the meat: halve the whole chicken breast 25 and remove cartilage and bones, then season 26 and pepper the slices on both sides. Place the chicken breasts on a hot grill 27.

Let cook for about 30-40 minutes over medium-low heat, turning the slices with the help of kitchen tongs 28; the cooking time depends on the thickness of the meat. Once ready 29 transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and slice them crosswise into not too thin slices 30.

Assemble the salad by combining in a large bowl the lettuce, croutons 31, Parmigiano Reggiano DPO flakes 32, and the sliced chicken 33.

Add the dressing 34 and mix well to blend everything together 35. Your Caesar salad with chicken is ready to be served 36!

How to store

It is recommended to serve the Caesar salad immediately after dressing it.

The lettuce can be prepared a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator as indicated in the recipe.

Tips

For the lettuce: refrigerating it makes the leaves crunchier, but it is not essential.

For the dressing: if you prefer, you can replace the yolk with a tablespoon of mayonnaise. Anchovies can be omitted. For a smoother and more homogeneous consistency, you can use an immersion blender instead of a whisk.

For the croutons: you can flavor the bread cubes with a clove of garlic or herbs to taste, and toast them in the oven instead of in a pan.