The crowd-pleasing salad of crisp romaine leaves, crunchy croutons, and a little or a lot of anchovies, as you like.
Prep:
5 mins
Cook:
20 mins
Total:
25 mins
Serves:
4 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup (105ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
3 cups hearty bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup), divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon (15ml) juice from 1 lemon
2 to 6 anchovies (see note)
1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce (see note)
1/3 cup (80ml) canola oil
2 heads romaine lettuce, inner leaves only, washed and carefully dried, large leaves torn into smaller pieces, smaller leaves left intact
Method
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil with minced garlic and whisk for 30 seconds. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl and press with the back of a spoon to extract as much oil as possible, leaving garlic behind. Reserve pressed garlic separately. Add bread cubes to garlic oil and toss to coat.
- Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, toss again, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until croutons are pale golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with 2 more tablespoons Parmesan. Allow to cool.
- While croutons are baked, make the dressing. Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, anchovies, Worcestershire sauce, pressed garlic, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in the bottom of a cup that just fits the head of an immersion blender or in the bottom of a food processor. With a blender or processor running, slowly drizzle in canola oil until a smooth emulsion forms. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste generous with salt and pepper.
- To serve, toss lettuce with a few tablespoons of dressing, adding more if desired. Once the lettuce is coated, add half of the remaining cheese and three-quarters of the croutons and toss again. Transfer to a salad bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and croutons. Serve.
Tags:
Salad