Deconstructing Caesar Salad

A while back while preparing for a small dinner party, Wendy decided that we needed a salad. I jump at any food request Wendy makes these days. We had a nice head of romaine in the crisper and that immediately suggested “Caesar Salad”. A search through the fridge and pantry gave me everything I needed but anchovies. It was too late to mount a shopping expedition so I had a second look at the Caesar dressing recipe.

It’s really just a mayonnaise (one of the basic ‘mother sauces’ of French Cuisine) sharpened with extra mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and anchovies.

Mayonnaise

1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
250 ml. extra virgin olive oil.

In a large bowl mix the yolk, lemon juice and mustard with a whisk. Slowly begin to add the oil a few drops at a time. Egg yolk is an emulsifier: it joins a liquid molecule to an oil molecule, so you need lemon juice or vinegar to complete the bond. As you whisk, the sauce becomes pale yellow and has a nice sheen. One egg yolk will easily emulsify a cup of oil, but don’t push it too hard until you’re experienced. Mayonnaise is mild and creamy.

If you add a couple of finely grated garlic cloves, the mayonnaise becomes a Sauce Aioli.

But most of us buy Mayonnaise in a nice jar at Superstore or Sobey’s. It’s a heck of a lot easier and less frustrating. (Just wait until your Mayonnaise breaks or separates at a critical moment.) Here’s a quick and dirty Caesar Salad Sauce.

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, or one you like.
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
1 cup grated fresh Parmesan Reggiano cheese.

Because the store-bought mayo is already an emulsion, it will readily mix with these ingredients and make a tangy, sharp sauce. You can adjust the flavour to suit your taste. Let the sauce sit in the fridge for a couple of hours to meld the flavours.

Lightly oil slices of French or Italian bread and toast in the oven until they are crusty. While still warm, rub both sides of the slices with a garlic clove. When cool, cut the bread into nice sized cubes.

I had nothing to replace the anchovies, so I left them out. I did have some hot smoked salmon. I filled each salad plate with romaine and gave each plate a squirt of the dressing. I then layered on the croutons and sprinkled the greens with freshly ground Parmesan (the real stuff, Parmesan Reggiano), some croutons, and the salmon. The acid tanginess of the sauce went well with the salmon.

Everyone loved the salad and I was commandeered into making it for Christmas dinner.