Caesar Salad with Potato Crisps
The remaining dressing will keep covered in a fridge for several days. I sometimes like to add a few little anchovy bits to the salad also.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
Ingredients
1 large head of Cos (Romaine) lettuce
50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano if possible)
Dressing
1 x 50g tin anchovies
2 egg yolks, preferably free-range
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
a generous pinch of English mustard powder
½ tsp salt
½ - 1 tbsp Worcester sauce
½ - 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
175ml sunflower oil
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml cold water
Garnish
Potato Crisps (see recipe for The Perfect Chip)
Method
Wash the lettuce leaves, dry really thoroughly and chill lightly wrapped in a tea-towel in a bowl while you make the dressing.
I make the dressing in a food processor, but it can also be made very quickly by hand. Drain the anchovies and crush lightly with a fork. Put into a bowl with the egg yolks, add the garlic, lemon juice, mustard powder, salt, Worcester and Tabasco sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together. As you whisk, add the oils slowly at first, then a little faster as the emulsion forms. Finally whisk some water to make a spreadable consistency. Taste and correct the seasoning, this dressing should be highly flavoured.
To serve, put a tablespoon of dressing per person in a big bowl, add in the chilled whole lettuce leaves and about half the Parmesan. Toss the leaves gently but thoroughly in the dressing.
(This is done most effectively with the hand, but if this does not appeal to you, use salad servers.) Add more dressing if necessary to coat the leaves. Arrange the dressed leaves on individual chilled plates. Sprinkle the potato crisps and remaining Parmesan on top. Serve immediately.
