Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair!
Spring is on the way, and what better way to enjoy the new season than with a good salad. I am famous for this recipe within our family and often get requests to prepare this salad for family events. I must admit, it is one of my favorite salads and the kids like it as well.
The traditional Caesar Salad uses anchovies for saltiness. However, being that some people and children have an aversion to anchovies, I do not use anchovies in my Caesar salad. If you like anchovies, you can certainly substitute them in place of the salt in this recipe. Anchovy paste may also be used in place of the salt.
It is very important that this salad be prepared immediately before serving. If you leave it sitting around for more than 20 minutes, the lettuce will become wilted and begin to "cook." You cannot make the dressing separate and add it to the greens. It will not come out the same.
Now, on to the recipe! Be well, and good eating!
Caesar Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
- 2 bunches fresh spinach leaves, torn into pieces
- 10 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Salad Supreme
- 6 Tbsp. Romano cheese, freshly grated
- 1 martini (1-1/2 oz gin or vodka plus 2 drops dry vermouth)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Croutons
Crush the garlic cloves and soak them in the olive oil for at least 3 hours before making the salad. This infuses the flavor of the garlic into the oil. The garlic may be removed before using the oil, or you may further chop the garlic and add it to the salad, depending on your preference. I happen to like lots of garlic, so I finely chop the garlic and add it to the salad. Another option, if you really like the garlic flavor, is to puree the garlic and olive oil mixture in a blender or food processor before using.
Tear lettuce and spinach leaves and put them into a large salad bowl for tossing. While tossing leaves, add the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Then add the Salad Supreme and grated Romano cheese, tossing until well mixed. Finally, add one whole egg, the juice from one lemon, and the martini. Continue tossing until the egg is thoroughly blended in. Top with croutons, a little more Romano cheese, and serve immediately.
- Yields: 6 servings
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes