Meat loaf was on the menu for dinner one evening this past week so I decided to go a little retro with the salad as well and made a Caesar salad. By now many have heard the story of Caesar Cardini, Italian by birth, he immigrated to the San Diego area after the first World War. Caesar ran a restaurant just over the border in Tijuana Mexico avoiding the restrictions that Prohibition brought.
Caesar salad originated on a busy fourth of July weekend in 1924 when hungry diners depleted his kitchen’s resources. Mr Cardini was said to have concocted the first Caesar salad with ingredients he had on hand. A dramatic tableside preparation is what set this simple recipe apart. Of course there are other claimants to the recipe, including family members and staff who disputed his version of the story for years. Caesar salad soon became popular with the Hollywood set and British royalty. Even Julia Child had the salad as a teen and she recounts watching it made by Caesar himself in her book In Julia Child’s Kitchen.
The original recipe is very basic, Romaine lettuce, a simple vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese and croutons. So anchovy haters take heart, you can claim that you are a Caesar purist. In my preparation I gave a nod to the Mexican origins of this dish by adding avocado in both the dressing and the finished salad. Avocados are native to central Mexico and were introduced to the United States in the late nineteenth century. Avocados are a powerhouse of nutrition providing amino acids, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and B vitamins. Yes they are high in fat, but it is a healthy fat, oleic acid that boosts HDL levels. Haas or Hass? That was the burning question in my mind. For years I have seen the most readily available variety of avocado spelled both ways. Hass is correct, named for the postman who first planted the variety, Rudolph Hass.
In a traditional Caesar a raw egg is an important ingredient because of the creamy texture it gives the salad. Wanting to avoid the raw egg altogether, I remembered a Martha Stewart recipe I used in my catering days. A tablespoon of good quality mayonnaise was substituted for the raw egg yolk. To enhance the lemon flavor I used a Sicilian lemon balsamic vinegar from The Tubby Olive. A combination of lemon juice and a regular balsamic could fill in here. Infusing olive oil with garlic is fairly easy. Bring about a quarter cup of olive oil and several cloves of garlic to a simmer over low heat. Turn off the heat, cover and allow the oil to pick up the garlic flavor, fifteen minutes or more. Strain and cool before using. Croutons are a major player in the recipe and I didn’t want wimpy ones from sliced bread so I tore pieces from part of an unsliced loaf I had in the freezer. Make your croutons as close to serving time as possible. The crispy croutons are a nice contrast to the creaminess of the avocado and the dressing. The original Caesar was to be eaten with the hands, the Romaine leaves were left whole and presented on the dish, stem end out. I prefer to eat my salad with a fork so I tore the greens into bite-sized pieces. Make this into a light entree by adding grilled chicken or shrimp.
Avocado Caesar Salad
Serves four
Ingredients
- 1 head of Romaine lettuce, rinsed, spun dry and cut into bite-sized pieces
- Avocado Caesar dressing (recipe follows)
- Garlic croutons (recipe follows)
- 4-6 slices of pancetta, cooked until crispy, crumbled
- Parmesan cheese
- 1 avocado, sliced
Ingredients for the dressing
- 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 minced cloves of garlic
- 1/4c mayonnaise
- 1T fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1T Worcestershire sauce
- 3T Sicilian lemon balsamic vinegar
- 3T extra virgin olive oil
- Water to thin out mixture
Directions for Dressing
- Combine the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and blend/pulse until creamy. You will need to scrape down the sides with a spatula several times during this process.
- Add water as needed to thin it out. Taste for seasoning and add salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Remember the pancetta and Parmesan will add saltiness to the final salad.
- Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Ingredients for the croutons
- 1 day-old baguette or other unsliced bread
- Garlic olive oil or olive oil and garlic powder or olive oil that has been infused with garlic
- Kosher salt
Directions for the croutons
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Remove crusts from bread and tear into irregular pieces, about 2 inches in size.
- Place bread cubes in a large bowl and toss to coat with oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt; arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake until golden and crisp, tossing with spatula half way through the baking process to insure even browning, about 10 minutes.
Final assembly of the Salad
- Place Romaine in a large salad bowl. Add a small portion of the dressing and toss well to coat. You can serve additional dressing on the side for those who want more.
- Toss with croutons and crumbled pancetta.
- Top each serving with a slice or two of avocado, Parmesan shavings and fresh ground pepper.
