Little Gem Caesar Salad with Anchovy and Parmesan
A raw egg yolk and a mashed anchovy whisked into a dressing sharper than anything from a bottle, tossed with lettuce that still has some crunch left in it.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Written
Method
-
Toss the bread with olive oil and toast in a skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until golden and crisp on every side.
-
Mash the garlic and anchovy fillets on a cutting board with the flat of a knife until they form a paste.
-
Whisk the paste with the egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard until the mixture turns pale and starts to thicken.
-
Stream in the remaining olive oil a few drops at a time, whisking constantly, until the dressing is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
-
Stir in half the Parmesan.
-
Toss the lettuce with the dressing until every leaf is coated.
-
Scatter the croutons and remaining Parmesan over top, finish with black pepper, and serve right away, before the leaves wilt.
Notes
The raw yolk is what makes this cling to the lettuce instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl — it’s the same emulsion as mayonnaise, just thinner. Don’t skip mashing the anchovies into a paste first; whole fillets in the dressing give you a mouthful of fish instead of the background savoriness the salad actually wants.
If raw egg makes you nervous, a pasteurized yolk whisks exactly the same way. Top it with grilled chicken or shrimp and it stops being a side.