- Prep time
- 25
- Cook time
- 40
- Skill level
- Medium
- Serves
- 4
The original caesar salad is said to have been invented by Caesar Cardini at Caesar's in the 1920s in Tijuana, Mexico.
There was no chicken or bacon. The anchovies weren't there either and instead the subtle anchovy flavour from Worcestershire sauce was deemed as sufficient.
Over the last 100 or so years, there have been countless iterations of the original. My version is more rooted in my memories of the 90s.
The key is always freshness: use crisp lettuce leaves, have all of your ingredients ready to go and assemble at the very last minute.
My dressing is fairly classic, except I include anchovies, which are common in modern recipes. Try to find good quality anchovies that silky and subtly salty — they really enhance the dressing.
You want this dressing to lusciously coat the leaves — so I always opt for hand whisking. It ensures the dressing stays a little looser, which is perfect.
Be sure to add the oil just a little at a time to begin with as it really needs to emulsify slowly with the egg.
Because you are using both hands, one to whisk and one to pour, steadying the bowl on your benchtop is important. I like to set the bowl on a wet tea towel.
Tips:
- The dressing uses raw egg, so if that isn't suitable, simply use 1/4–1/2 cup of store-bought mayonnaise. (I like to use Kewpie, a Japanese brand, but any whole egg mayonnaise will work.) Mix in the remaining ingredients. Simply thin out with some water or extra lemon or lime juice.
- Hand whisking the dressing is a little time consuming, but it's worth it. It will ensure the dressing is the correct consistency and not too thick which will weigh the salad down.
- For a more classic caesar salad, omit the chicken and bacon. Conversely, I find two chicken breasts sufficient for four people for a light lunch, but feel free to increase the quantity.
- I have suggested baby cos lettuce or cos lettuce hearts, but regular cos is fine too. Just be sure to remove the dark outer leaves first.
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Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 thick slices sourdough or country-style bread, crusts removed
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 rashers streaky bacon
- 2 chicken breast (around 250 g each), skin on
- 2 baby cos lettuce or cos lettuce hearts
- 30g parmigiano reggiano
- Sea salt and black pepper
Caesar dressing:
- 1 egg
- 125ml oil (I use half extra virgin olive oil and half vegetable oil)
- 1 clove garlic, finely grated
- 4 anchovy fillets, very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Juice of half a lemon or a whole lime
- Sea salt
Method
- 1.Preheat the oven to 180˚C.
- 2.Tear the bread into large croutons, around 3cm in size, and place in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with a little salt and arrange in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until the bread is golden and crunchy. Allow to cool.
- 3.For the chicken, season the breasts with salt. Warm the remaining olive oil in an oven safe frying pan over a high heat. Cook the chicken, skin side down, until golden, around 3–4 minutes. Turn the chicken over so the skin side is now facing up. Place the frying pan in the oven and cook the chicken until just cooked through, around 10–12 minutes. Remove from the frying pan and allow to rest for 8–10 minutes then slice into 1.5cm thick pieces.
- 4.Place the bacon in a frying pan and place over a medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy and golden, around three minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper and then break or cut into 2cm pieces.
- 5.Meanwhile, make the dressing by whisking the egg in a large bowl then slowly drip in the oil, whisking continuously to emulsify. Once about half of the oil has been added, you can pour the oil in a little more of a trickle or stream, being sure to still whisk continuously. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to combine and season to taste.
- 6.Separate the lettuce leaves and place in a large bowl. Pour over most of the dressing and use your hands to ensure all the leaves are well-coated. Arrange onto a serving plate then top with the chicken, bacon and croutons. Pour over a little more dressing and season with some pepper. Any extra dressing can be served at the table for people to add to their own salad if desired. Grate the parmigiano reggiano over the salad and serve immediately.