Dinner Tonight: Grilled Caesar Salad
Sure, Blake made a Caesar salad a long ago, and I've got nothing new to say about the salad's ingredients. And god knows I won't dare add chicken. But what I have done is grilled the lettuce before it hits the plate. Grilled Caesar salad, unlike its cold counterpart, is all about texture. The cut part of the lettuce gets hot and wilted, deepening in flavor, while the outer leaves remain mostly cool, calm, and collected. When I bite through, a whole mess of flavor gets in every fork full.
The only odd moment in this recipe came while trying to divide the one egg in half, which is a slightly ridiculous procedure only done to make the dressing more manageable for this two person household. I learned the trick from my many mistakes making huge loads of mayonnaise—it would inevitably go bad unless I halved it, and I don't like waste. Just whisk the egg in a small bowl until yolk and white are combined, and then carefully pour out half. Easy, I know. Slightly stupid, yep. But us pre-kid families have to do what we have to do.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a co-founder of The Paupered Chef, a blog dedicated to saving time and money while enjoying food in every way possible. He sells wine for a living and lives in Columbus, Ohio.
Grilled Caesar Salad
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 garlic
1/4 olive oil
6 slices baguette, (1/2 inch thick)
1/2 large egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 heart romaine
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Toss the anchovy, garlic, oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender. Process until smooth.
2. Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush the baguette slices on both sides with the anchovy mixture. Grill on both sides until browned.
3. Cut the heart of romaine carefully in half. Brush the cut side with the anchovy mixture. Place the romaine, cut side down, on the grill. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until grill marks appear.
4. Meanwhile, add the 1/2 egg and lemon juice to the anchovy mixture. Blend until smooth, adding salt if needed.
5. Plate the romaine, side with the baguettes, and drizzle with the Caesar dressing.
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2 Comments:
I love grilling romaine lettuce! I love to make a grilled salad with romaine, grilled carrots, grilled corn, grilled red onions and avocado (non grilled).
jscarpetta at 6:58PM on 07/09/08
For a light meal instead of a side dish, I'd add very crisp crumbled streaky bacon, some shavings of cheddar, Tussers or Colchester cheese, and avocado. Cherry tomato wouldn't do any harm, either...
Interesting idea to grill the lettuce - doesn't it turn romaine more bitter than it is already? I do often stir-fry leftover salads - as long as they don't contain avocado - and mix them with rice or pasta (and cheese, when I feel like a bit of extravagance) for a make-shift lunch. Cooked lettuce is delicious, but expect a sizable reduction in quantity!
mynah at 4:47PM on 07/10/08