Caesar Salad with Roasted Capers

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There are many stories about how Caesar salad came into being. One legend has it that on July 4, 1924, Tijuana restaurateur Caesar Cardini found himself in a bit of a pickle. He was running low on food during this particular holiday weekend, but he was stocked up with the staple ingredients for this salad--garlic, bread, romaine lettuce, and Parmesan. From these humble ingredients sprung the first Caesar salad, prepared and served tableside.

The salad was a lifesaver for Mr. Cardini on that Fourth of July weekend; he later moved to California, and since 1948 his family has bottled Cardini's Caesar Salad Dressing.

The salad has remained on restaurant menus for decades. What makes it so unforgettable? It is all about the dressing and the croutons. The key ingredients always include garlic, egg, Parmesan cheese, lemon and oil. Here, roasted capers replace the over-used bread crouton in this contemporary Caesar salad version. The capers are crisp little nuggets of flavor. If you love croutons you can still add a handful of Parmesan crisps to this recipe. A cooked egg avoids raw egg health risks and thickens the dressing. Asiago cheese is a welcome surprise from the typical Parmesan cheese. Try California dry jack or pecorino cheese for another flavor variation. Serve this salad as a first course or as a main luncheon dish.

The Clever Cook:

--Use this dressing on warm boiled potatoes as an interesting variation on German potato salad

--Try this salad on top of a crisp plain pizza dough

 

Caesar Salad with Roasted Capers

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

1/4 cup large capers, drained and well rinsed

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large egg

Dressing:

3 medium garlic cloves

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1-2 teaspoons anchovy paste (to taste)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese , divided

2 medium heads Romaine lettuce, white and light green parts only, torn into bite-size pieces

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the capers and the oil in a small heavy roasting pan. Roast the capers, turning a few times, for about 18-20 minutes or until crispy. Watch carefully towards the end. Remove from the oven and reserve.

2. Immerse the egg in a small pan of boiling water. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it for 10 minutes. Remove the egg from water and let it cool for 10 minutes.

3. Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with the metal blade while the motor is running. Add the lemon juice, anchovy paste and pepper, and process to combine. Crack the egg, then spoon it out into a food processor bowl. Pulse the egg with other ingredients until combined. Add the oil in a steady stream until emulsified. Pulse in 1/4 cup of the cheese. Taste for seasoning.

4. In a large salad bowl combine the lettuce and reserved capers with the dressing and toss. Add the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and toss to coat the lettuce. Place the salad on individual plates and serve immediately.

Advance Preparation: The dressing may be prepared 8 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

 

Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks (click here), including "Seriously Simple Holidays: Recipes and Ideas to Celebrate the Season," and also a James Beard award-winning radio show host.

Available at Amazon.com:

Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients

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Caesar Salad with Roasted Capers - Diane Rossen Worthington Recipes

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