Everyday Gourmet

Photo from Flavours

Looking for a great Caesar Salad recipe and something new at the same time?  This recipe for a grilled version is a couple years old, but continues to impress dinner guest time and time again!  To save time and avoid any unnecessary exercise, I use my food processor to make the dressing and it works great.

 

Charred Romaine with Caesar’s Revenge Dressing & Grilled Garlic Croutons

Ingredients

• Caesar’s Revenge Dressing:

  • 3 free-range egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) anchovy paste
  • 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, grated with a rasp
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire
  • 2 tsp (10 mL) red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (125 mL) grated Asiago cheese

• Grilled Garlic Croutons:

  • 1/4 cup (60 mL) room temperature butter
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried basil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 slices of Pumpernickel bread

• Charred Romaine:

  • 2 Romaine lettuce hearts, rinsed and patted dry
  • 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

Caesar’s Revenge Dressing:
In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, anchovy paste, garlic and sea salt. Whisk until fully mixed. Pour in lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire, and vinegar; mix vigorously. Slowly pour olive oil in a long, thin line while continuing to whisk mixture. Add cheese and season with pepper; mix again. Pour into a jar or salad dressing container and chill for 1 hour. Shake before serving.

Grilled Garlic Croutons:
Combine butter, herbs and garlic in a bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Spread butter mixture over both sides of bread. Preheat a barbecue. When hot, place bread slices on grill and cook for 30 seconds then turn a 45 degrees and cook for another 30 seconds or until nicely toasted. Flip and repeat. Remove from heat and cut into 1″ (2.5 cm) squares.

To Assemble:
Preheat a barbecue. Using a pastry brush, coat lettuce with olive oil. When the barbecue is hot, place hearts onto grill and sear for approximately 2 minutes. Keep searing lettuce until grill marks appear on all sides. Remove from heat and cut off core from stem; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with Caesar’s Revenge Dressing and top with Grilled Garlic Croutons. Serve immediately.

Serves 2