Recipe for both the Caesar salad from the 1967 Joy of Cooking and a modified version of the recipe by Jackie Alpers.
The dressing is more of a vinaigrette than the fattening, creamy versions found in a lot of restaurants these days. Many people think it’s an Italian salad and it kind of is, but they have the wrong Caesar in mind. It was developed in Tijuana, Mexico by Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant. The Joy of Cooking version is a bit different than Cardini’s original which didn’t contain anchovies and was considerably more eggy. Over the years I’ve modified it a bit. I found that I really don’t need the raw egg as a binder, though sometimes I do add a splash of Egg Beaters to give the dressing a little more body. I also skip the croutons to keep the carbs down, and I add even more healthy Omega 3s packed anchovies for protein.
Ingredients
- 1 bag of chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil citrus infused if possible
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 5 anchovies
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- The juice of 1 lemon
- Splash of Egg Beaters – optional
- 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Instructions
- Mash the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and anchovies together in a wooden salad bowl
- to make a paste. Add the lettuce and mix well to coat. Add the salt, pepper and
- mustard powder. Add the red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and egg if your using
- it. Mix well. Toss in the cheese and combine. Serve topped with freshly ground pepper
- and more Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Here’s the original version:
Ingredients
For the famous recipe from California leave:
- 1 clove garlic peeled and sliced
- in 1/2 cup olive oil none other for 24 hours.
- Sauté one cup cubed French Bread in 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil above.
Break into 2″ lengths:
- 2 heads romaine
- Wash and dry well.
- Place the romaine in a salad bowl.
Sprinkle over it:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- A generous grating of black pepper
- 5 fillets of anchovy cut up small or mashed into a paste
- a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
Add:
- 3 tablespoons of wine vinegar
- and the remaining 6 tablespoons of garlic oil.
Cook gently in simmering water for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or use raw:
- 1 egg
- Drop the egg from the shell onto the ingredients in the bowl.
- Squeeze over the egg: The juice of 1 lemon
- Add the croutons and:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Toss the salad well. Serve it at once.
Read my essay about my childhood experience with this salad at sonorancorner.jackiealpers.com
