How To Make The Best Ceasar Salad - Caesar Salad Recipe

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By Mark Knowles

Caesar Salad Recipe

Making the perfect Caesar salad is not hard, it just requires a little attention to detail. For me, the perfect Caesar salad dressing has a hint of garlic, a medium flavor of anchovies and a strong taste of Parmesan cheese. There are a few basic rules that need to be followed though:

  • Do not add the dressing until just before serving.
  • Tear the lettuce, do not cut it.
  • Use only good quality olive oil. Not peanut oil or groundnut, or any other oil. Just the best olive oil you can find. Which brand is a matter of personal preference, but I prefer Italian cold pressed virgin oil.

This recipe is easy to follow, but has several steps, and they need to be followed in the correct order. I am not entirely sure why the lemon needs to be added before the Parmesan cheese, but it does make a difference. Any technically minded readers out there, please let me know if you have the answer. I don’t usually like to push a particular brand, but in this case, Colman’s English mustard powder and Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce are pretty vital Caesar salad ingredients. This recipe serves two.

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To make the Ceasar Salad Dressing

You will need:

Equipment:

  • A skillet save
  • A saucepan
  • A measuring cup
  • A salad bowl and serving utensils

Ingredients:

  • 1 Romaine or 2 baby Lechuga lettuce
  • 2 cups croutons

For the Caesar salad dressing:

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 coddled eggs
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 30 grams finely chopped anchovies
  • 1 teaspoon Colman’s mustard powder
  • 1 table spoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ lemon
  • salt and pepper

Making Croutons and Coddling Eggs

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First, make the coddled eggs. To coddle eggs, bring a pan of water to the boil, take it off the heat, drop the eggs in, leave them in the water for one minute, take them out of the water and put them in the fridge.

Next, make the croutons. Take some stale bread and cut it into cubes. French or Italian bread is best. Try not to use any bread with a lot of sugar added. I know, you can buy ready made croutons, but this is the way to go. Pour some olive oil into a skillet, turn to a medium heat and add the bread cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and fry until crispy. Turn the croutons out onto a plate covered with kitchen paper.

Next wash and tear the lettuce. Drain.

We are now ready to start. Make sure you have all the ingredients to hand and the salad is going to be served straight away. You can’t let this sit, or the croutons and lettuce go soggy. These steps must be done in the order they are written.

  1. Make the dressing. Pour 1’4 cup olive oil into a jug. Add 1 teaspoon of mustard powder and stir. Chop the anchovies. Add the anchovies to the dressing and stir. Add 1 table spoon of Worcester sauce and stir. The dressing at this stage does not look very appealing, but as the rest of the ingredients go in, it will become more attractive.
  2. Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub around the inside of the salad bowl. Smash the clove up and throw in the bowl. I much prefer a wooden salad bowl, but any will do. If you prefer a stronger garlic taste, use more, but I heartily suggest just one clove to start with.
  3. Next, add the lettuce to the bowl.
  4. Pour on the dressing and toss until the leaves glisten.
  5. Break the eggs into the bowl and toss again.
  6. Sprinkle on a good helping of ground black pepper and a little salt and toss again.
  7. Squeeze the juice from the lemon onto the salad and toss again.
  8. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and toss again.
  9. Add the croutons. Do not toss this time, just gently mix.
  10. Serve. Either on it’s own or with some cold cooked chicken. See how to roast a chicken. Guaranteed the best Caesar salad you have ever tasted or your money back.

Bon Apetit!

Comments

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 4 years ago

My pleasure, Enjoy!

Elynjo profile image

Elynjo 2 years ago

I tried the recipe it was really good! Thank you.

marisuewrites profile image

marisuewrites 2 years ago

This looks great Mark, I love a great Ceasar salad...=)) very nicely written.

Emery Pajer 21 months ago

Fantastic recipe. I've served this at several dinner parties now, and everyone always loves it. Thanks so much for the post!

Ingenira profile image

Ingenira Level 5 Commenter 19 months ago

Looks delicious !

Mark, what's the different effect between tearing and cutting the lettuce ?

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 19 months ago

It seems to bruise it by using a knife. The texture is different and it goes brown at the edges faster.

Or maybe I am being pedantic. LOL

Marisa Wright profile image

Marisa Wright Level 5 Commenter 19 months ago

The first thing I do before ordering a caesar salad is ask whether it has anchovies. In Australia, they often leave them out altogether because "people don't like the taste" (sigh!). But I must have actual anchovies in my caesar, not just anchovy dressing. Love the fact you've used coddled eggs, though - much better than hard-boiled.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 19 months ago

That is the first thing my wife asks. If they cannot provide extra anchovies - she will not order it. People use hard boiled eggs? Nasty. How do they make the dressing then?

Marisa Wright profile image

Marisa Wright Level 5 Commenter 19 months ago

The dressing is usually just a creamy mayonnaise if they don't use the eggs.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 19 months ago

I don't think you could call that a Caesar salad in that case. Not sure what you would call it though.

CT 19 months ago

I know this question might be a stupid question but the anchovies, is it canned anchovies or is it fresh and we have to cook it first? Thanks!

slim 14 months ago

yummy

Joyce F profile image

Joyce F 12 months ago

Great Hub! Looks like a perfect Caesar salad recipe, but what is a coddled egg?

carcro profile image

carcro Level 7 Commenter 5 months ago

Your Ceasar salad looks delicious! Always great to try someone else's recipe. Thanks for sharing!

darryl 4 months ago

this gave me the shits and farts for a week omg

stessily profile image

stessily Level 7 Commenter 3 months ago

Mark Knowles: I agree with you about "a hint of garlic" and "a strong taste of Parmesan cheese" for the perfect Caesar salad dressing, but I'll have to pass on the anchovies for now. I'll give them a second chance at some point cuz even anchovies deserve a second chance!

Thanks for this very nicely presented recipe.

Mark Knowles profile image

Mark Knowles Hub Author 3 months ago

Stressily - I am with you actually - but my wife likes them and this is "authentic" - try chopping them really finely.

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