Caesar Salad

Making your own Ceasar salad is really easy and the result tastes so much better than bottled dressing! It has good anchovy flavor, which I like, but you could also reduce the number of anchovies if they aren't so much your thing. Making your own croutons is also easy and tastes wonderful. I like to saute bread cubes in butter because I think it gives them great flavor and really makes the salad stand out. You could also use olive oil for equally-yummy croutons.


Caesar Salad (adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 cloves garlic
3 anchovy fillets
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small loaf white rustic bread, cut into cubes
Butter
2 heads (10 ounces each) romaine lettuce, outer leaves discarded, inner leaves washed and dried, or two packaged hearts of romaine
2 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler, plus more to garnish

1. Make the dressing: Place garlic, anchovy fillets, and salt on a cutting board. Using two dinner forks, mash into a paste. Place the anchovy paste into a medium-sized jar and add the pepper lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, yolk, and olive oil. Shake well to combine.
2. Make the croutons: Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the bread cubes. Saute, turning a few times, until the croutons are golden brown and toasty. Set aside to cool.
3. Assemble the salad: Chop the romaine leaves into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces. Place the lettuce in a large salad bowl with the croutons and cheese. Add dressing and toss. Start with a smaller amount of dressing and add more until you get the salad as dressed as you like. Top the salad with more shaved Parmesan to serve.