Ensalada César
The Caesar salad as Tijuana made it: whole romaine leaves, garlicky anchovy dressing, parmesan and croutons
MexicanThe Caesar salad was born in Tijuana in the 1920s, at an Italian immigrant's restaurant on Avenida Revolución, and it is still tossed at the table there by waiters who make the dressing in a wooden bowl in front of you. Crisp inner romaine leaves are coated in a garlicky, lemony emulsion of coddled egg yolk, anchovy, olive oil and parmesan, then showered with garlic croutons; traditionally you pick the leaves up with your fingers. The yolks are only lightly warmed, so use pasteurised eggs if you are serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or with a weakened immune system. It makes a starter before grilled meat, or a light lunch on its own. Chef's tip: mash the garlic and anchovies to a paste with salt before anything else goes into the bowl, so the dressing is smooth with no fishy lumps.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the croutons
For the dressing
For the salad
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Toss 5 ½ oz day-old crusty white bread with a little of 2 ½ tbsp olive oil and rub over with the bruised clove from 1 garlic. Spread on a tray and bake, shaking once, until golden and crisp all the way through.
10 minStep 2: Bring a small pan of water to the boil, lower in 2 eggs and cook for exactly 1 minute, then cool under cold water. The whites will barely set; you need only the yolks, which will be warm and slightly thickened.
2 minStep 3: In a large wide bowl, mash 4 anchovy fillets in oil, the rest of 2 garlic and ½ tsp flaky sea salt with a fork until you have a smooth paste.
Step 4: Separate the eggs, scraping the coddled yolks into the bowl (keep the whites for another use). Whisk in 2 tbsp lime or lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.
Step 5: Whisking constantly, add the rest of ½ cup olive oil in a thin stream until the dressing is thick and glossy. Don't pour the oil in all at once: that's the usual reason it splits into a greasy puddle.
Step 6: Whisk in 1 ⅝ oz parmesan and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Taste: it should be bold, salty and tangy.
Step 7: Add 2 romaine lettuce hearts to the bowl just before serving and turn the leaves gently with your hands until each one is coated. Dressing it ahead is the quickest way to a limp salad.
Step 8: Scatter over the croutons and the rest of ½ oz parmesan and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 40 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ensalada César take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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