The Caesar salad
Who doesn't know the surprising combination of crispy romaine lettuce, savory Parmesan cheese, croutons and a signature creamy dressing of a well-made Caesar salad? This classic salad has become a favorite on menus around the world. I have adapted the salad in this recipe a little from the original version, which makes it even tastier! Guanciale bacon and a soft poached egg give this salad a tasty upgrade.
A legend among salads
The legend begins in Tijuana, Mexico, in the 1920s, where Caesar Cardini, an Italian-American restaurateur, ran an eatery popular with American tourists during Prohibition. The story goes that on a busy evening in 1924, Cardini, faced with a shortage of ingredients, elevated improvisation to an art and put together a salad with what he had on hand. He mixed romaine lettuce, olive oil, garlic, raw eggs, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and croutons and presented the dish to his guests with dramatic flair.
Today, the Caesar salad has become a modern culinary icon, loved for its timeless taste and versatility. Although Cardini's original creation has gone through many variations, the essence of this dish remains unmistakable.
Ingredients for this Caesar salad
In my version, crispy romaine lettuce leaves are lovingly mixed with finely grated Parmesan cheese and a homemade Caesar dressing, with a creamy consistency and taste. The whole is further enriched with fried guanciale bacon (Italian bacon) that offers an intense flavor and a delicious crispiness. The grilled chicken, juicy and full of flavor, provides a protein-rich addition to this delicious salad. Anchovies, with their intense umami flavor, add a deep, salty flavor that blends perfectly with the other ingredients. Finally, the soft poached egg that we place in the middle on top of the dish.l
So what are you waiting for? Surprise friends and family and try making this delicious salad!
Caesar salad with grilled chicken and guanciale bacon
Equipment
- Fine cheese grater or microplanefor grating the parmesan cheese and garlic
- Mixing bowlTo mix in the lettuce and dressing
- Grill pan (preferably cast iron)to grill the chicken
- Frying panto fry the guanciale bacon
- Mixer or immersion blenderto make the Caesar dressing
- Chef's knife and bread knife
- Hot air ovento fry the croutons
- Cutting board
- Small panto poach eggs
Ingredients
- 6 small romaine lettuce (little gem) butt off, cut into quarters and picked
- 500 gram chicken breast Cut into the long way with the flat side up. So that you have thin, large slices that you can grill
- +/- 60 gram Parmesan cheese grated
- 180 gram guanciale cut into coarse elongated cubes
Caesar Dressing
- 55 gram fine Dijon mustard
- 115 gram egg yolk
- 1 clove garlic finely grated or pressed
- 18 gram anchovies salted
- 35 gram Red wine vinegar
- 10 gram lemon juice
- 225 gram sunflower oil
Bread croutons
- 1 great pistolet not yet baked for croutons cut into large blocks
- dash of olive oil
- pepper and salt
Poaching eggs
- 4 really fresh eggs
- water with a dash of natural vinegar
Instructions
Caesar Dressing
- Info: This amount of dressing makes more than this recipe. That's easier to make in a mixer. Store the rest in the refrigerator and use it another time! Don't you want this? Then halve the dressing recipe.
- Weigh all ingredients and grate the garlic.
- Add all ingredients to the mixer except the sunflower oil.
- Mix this until the anchovies and garlic are completely fine.
- Run the mixer and add drop by drop the sunflower oil. If you do this too quickly your dressing will split. You make this dressing in the same way as a mayonnaise.
- Once the sunflower oil is completely incorporated, you will have a nice thick dressing.
Cut lettuce and cut and fry guanciale bacon
- Cut the lettuce and guanciale bacon as described in the ingredients list. Place the lettuce in a large mixing bowl.
- Fry the guancial bacon without oil over medium-high heat until crispy.
Bread croutons
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
- Cut the roll into large cubes, place them on an oven dish and sprinkle well with olive oil, salt and pepper.Tip: Some garlic oil or pepper oil would also be delicious on these bread croutons!
- Bake the croutons in the oven until golden brown for about 10/15 minutes, depending on your oven. They may still be a little soft on the inside. This will taste delicious in your salad later.
Poaching eggs and grilling chicken
- Heat your (cast iron) grill pan until it is sweltering.
- Heat your poaching water (water and vinegar) to boiling point.Would you like to know more about poaching eggs? Then click here!
- Poach your eggs in the water for +/- 3 minutes.
- Then keep your eggs warm in lukewarm water.
- Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil.
- Grill the chicken in the grill pan. If necessary, place something on top that can withstand heat, so that the chicken is well adhered to the pan.
- Leave the chicken until it has nice grill marks. Then turn it over.
- Grill the chicken until it is done. Because the chicken is thinly sliced, it will cook faster than normal.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and cut it into long pieces. This will give a better end result.
Finishing the salad
- Mix the lettuce with some Caesar dressing and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Then divide the prepared lettuce over plates or bowls.
- Place the poached egg in the middle on top and season with salt and pepper.
- Then playfully place the grilled chicken, guanciale bacon, anchovies and croutons on the salad around the poached egg.
- If necessary, grate a little extra Parmesan cheese over the salad.
- Enjoy it!
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