Dad's Gourmet Caesar Salad
At Dad's house, steak and appies aren't the only dishes that impress. I recently squeezed him for his decadent Caesar salad recipe. You'll never buy that artificial-ingredients-laden box kit again!Before you begin
This salad takes a bit of work but is pretty easy to make once you get the hang of it. Tools are important – best to have a big wooden bowl with a wood spoon. In a nice restaurant you’ll see the waiter make the salad and serve it all in the same bowl.
I like to use Romaine hearts as opposed to the entire head. The hearts are lighter green and more crunchy so it’s whatever you like. Rip the lettuce by hand into the size you want instead of slicing with a knife. Wash and spin dry, then loosely wrap the lettuce in a clean towel and pop it in the fridge where it will easily keep for a day.
Tip: soak the lettuce in water with ice cubes to revive if it looks a bit wilted.
The DressingCrush or dice garlic (more is better, do not be shy!) and drop them into your salad bowl. Add coarsely ground black pepper and rub with the garlic against the bottom or side of the bowl with a spoon so that the pepper grinds up the garlic - great aroma! Once you tire of that, take a half or full 2-ounce can of anchovies and chop into 1/4-inch chunks. If you like to have some anchovy bits whole in the salad set some aside to add at the end, and dump the rest into the bowl. Grind the anchovies, garlic and pepper for a few minutes, then add Dijon mustard (I love the whole grain variety) and continue to mash.
Pour in Worcestershire, Tabasco, and egg yolk, mixing between each addition. Toss in your chives and crush them in a bit for a fresh grassy flavor. Add the oil while stirring constantly - now you have essentially a mayonnaise that should start to thicken to a chowder consistency. If it doesn't, squeeze one wedge of lemon to help things along. You’ve got a great dressing but the coup de grace is a big tablespoon of red wine vinegar, which once you mix it in causes all those delicious aromas to rise up to your nose. Add finely grated Parmesan cheese and you’re done with the dressing. This can sit in the fridge covered overnight.
Tip: there's room for variety with your oil. I find some olive oils so heavy in taste that they dominate the whole
salad. I would suggest either a very light tasting olive oil or a mix of 50/50 between olive and canola. Err on the side of caution with 100% canola, rather than a heavy olive variety.
Composing the Salad
With the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, dump your romaine on top. Squeeze 1/4 - 1/2 of a lemon over the lettuce (you can always add more later but it’s tough to take it out). Start tossing until the dressing is all used up. Add coarsely grated Parmesan and a cup or so of croutons and toss again. Dress with a grinding of fresh coarse black pepper.
A well-made Caesar is almost a meal on its own. As a side with BBQ’d steaks, ribs or fish it makes an otherwise simple meal into a delicacy.
Wine Pairings
With summer still lingering, cool white wines are always a favorite. Concentrate on the varietals (wine types), rather than searching for a particular label.
Riesling: Made famous by German winemakers, it tends to be fairly sweet. If the label says "Spätlese" - meaning harvested late in the season - it will be somewhat sweeter and jammy because the grapes have shrunk a bit. Rieslings from Washington state and California tend to be less sweet and more complex and in my opinion a lot more fun. Definitely a chic wine!
Chardonnay: These come from all over, including France, Australia, California, Washington, and Niagara. Some Australian labels are very heavily oaked - okay for a glass or two, but I find some of them overpowering after a bit unless you've got some spicy pasta to pair it with. My favorite Chard comes from Maryhill Vinery in Washington state. It's got some fruit on the nose, a hint of lemon and gooseberries and pears ...gosh I'm getting thirsty!... and it is so smooth. This wine is screaming for raw oysters, Caesar salad, and more wine.
Vigonier: I discovered this one when my favorite Whistler restaurant ran out of my preferred Chardonnay. It's becoming more popular, but for a time I couldn't find it in stores or on wine lists. In short you could think of it as a crossover between Riesling and Chardonnay. It is fruitier than either of the two, while not as sweet as a Riesling nor as heavy as some Chardonnays. It's the kind of wine you can drink all night long because it's complex and easy at the same time. I've seen them from France as the name suggests, but I would reach for the West Coast labels first.
Hungry yet?
by Harry Loewen
Composing the Salad
With the dressing in the bottom of the bowl, dump your romaine on top. Squeeze 1/4 - 1/2 of a lemon over the lettuce (you can always add more later but it’s tough to take it out). Start tossing until the dressing is all used up. Add coarsely grated Parmesan and a cup or so of croutons and toss again. Dress with a grinding of fresh coarse black pepper.
A well-made Caesar is almost a meal on its own. As a side with BBQ’d steaks, ribs or fish it makes an otherwise simple meal into a delicacy.
Wine Pairings
With summer still lingering, cool white wines are always a favorite. Concentrate on the varietals (wine types), rather than searching for a particular label.
Riesling: Made famous by German winemakers, it tends to be fairly sweet. If the label says "Spätlese" - meaning harvested late in the season - it will be somewhat sweeter and jammy because the grapes have shrunk a bit. Rieslings from Washington state and California tend to be less sweet and more complex and in my opinion a lot more fun. Definitely a chic wine!
Chardonnay: These come from all over, including France, Australia, California, Washington, and Niagara. Some Australian labels are very heavily oaked - okay for a glass or two, but I find some of them overpowering after a bit unless you've got some spicy pasta to pair it with. My favorite Chard comes from Maryhill Vinery in Washington state. It's got some fruit on the nose, a hint of lemon and gooseberries and pears ...gosh I'm getting thirsty!... and it is so smooth. This wine is screaming for raw oysters, Caesar salad, and more wine.
Vigonier: I discovered this one when my favorite Whistler restaurant ran out of my preferred Chardonnay. It's becoming more popular, but for a time I couldn't find it in stores or on wine lists. In short you could think of it as a crossover between Riesling and Chardonnay. It is fruitier than either of the two, while not as sweet as a Riesling nor as heavy as some Chardonnays. It's the kind of wine you can drink all night long because it's complex and easy at the same time. I've seen them from France as the name suggests, but I would reach for the West Coast labels first.
Hungry yet?
by Harry Loewen
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