Caesar Salad
Course: lunch, dinner, saladDifficulty: Easy
Servings
1
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
10
minutesIs there another salad that is more universally adored than the classic Caesar? I don’t think so. With its shards of parmesan, crispy bacon, creamy dressing and perfectly cooked egg, it’s an absolute winner. Â
Ingredients
2 rashers bacon, chopped
1/2 cup torn or cubed pieces of bread
3 tbsps olive oil
Pinch salt
1 chicken breast (optional)
1 medium egg
Few handfuls cos or gem lettuce leaves
30 g parmesan cheese
- Easy creamy dressing
2-3 tbsps mayonnaise
1-2 tbsps lemon juice
¼ – ½ anchovy, crushed to a paste
1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard
1/4 tsp grated or crushed garlic
2 tbsp finely grated parmesan
Grind of black pepper
Directions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients, taste and season with more lemon juice and/or black pepper as needed.
- Fry bacon in a pan until crispy. Remove from pan. Add bread to the pan and add olive oil and fry until golden brown and crisped. Drain on paper towels, salt the croutons well and set aside. Wipe pan clean and cook chicken breast (if using) – pan on medium, 5 minutes on each side then rest before slicing.
- To make a perfectly poached egg, bring a pot of water, with a dash of vinegar added to it, to a simmer. Swirl water with a spoon to a whirlpool and break the egg into it. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
- To serve: In a large bowl toss lettuce leaves in half the dressing until coated. Set out on a serving plate. Top with crispy bacon, croutons, sliced chicken if using and the egg on top. Serve remaining dressing on the side. Use a vegetable peeler to grate the parmesan over. Enjoy!
Nici’s Tips:
- Add the anchovy to the dressing bit by bit until you have the perfect level of saltiness.Â
- For the best croutons use a light bread (not sourdough) so that they’re not tough.