- Hey guys, today I'm going to show you how
to make a grilled chicken Caesar salad from scratch.
So some of my favorite recipes are suggestions
that come from all of you.
So this recipe is going out to bubblepuff109,
you wanted to know how to make a classic Caesar,
and I'm going to show you how to do it.
So the first thing we're going to do
is create the marinade for our chicken.
In a dish, you're going to combine some olive oil,
some garlic, lemon zest, Italian seasoning
and salt and pepper.
Whisk that all up just until combined
and then you're going to add
your boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Make sure it's marinated on all side,
so that the chicken is well coated.
You're then going to cover and pop in the fridge,
and then meanwhile we're going to create our croutons.
Now if you ask me, the croutons are the mark
of any great Caesar salad.
So it definitely pays to make them from scratch.
Don't go out and buy the croutons,
thinking you're going to save a step,
cause it will not be as good.
And when I show you how easy it is
to make homemade croutons, you'll never go back
to the stuff in a box.
Now when it comes to homemade croutons,
I really like to use ciabatta bread.
That's because if you slice into it,
you'll see it has all of those nooks and crannies
and that's where all of your delicious homemade
Caesar salad dressing is going to end up.
So it's a really great bread to use for something like this.
But if you can't find it, you could also use a baguette
or a French loaf, that would work as well.
You're going to slice the bread into about 1 inch cubes.
Pop it in a bowl and to that you're going to add
some olive oil, minced garlic and salt and pepper.
Mix it all together and then turn it out on a cookie sheet.
You then are going to bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.
You're looking for the croutons to crisp up
and turn golden brown.
Now for the dressing.
Now a classic Caesar salad
typically does have raw egg in it,
and I know that that can make some people uneasy.
So instead we're going to use some mayonnaise
which is pasteurized, so there's no reason to worry.
Then we're going to add the zest of one lemon,
and some lemon juice.
Go ahead and give that a good whisk,
and then it's time for the anchovies.
Now I know, anchovies is another controversial subject
when it comes to Caesar salad.
Because a real traditionalist will say,
it is not a Caesar without the anchovies.
But I know that anchovies can also make people uneasy.
So what I like to do is instead of taking real anchovies
and smashing them up, I go right to the paste.
Because then you tend to not even think about it.
When you measure out the anchovy paste,
just think of it as a nice flavorful paste.
Then you're going to add some Worcestershire sauce,
add some olive oil.
Whisk it all together until combined
and then the final step is to add about a half a cup
of grated parmesan cheese.
And that's it, your dressing is done.
At this point, your chicken is probably done marinating
and it's time to grill it.
So go ahead and grill the chicken on all sides.
Once it's done, remove it and let it rest
for about five minutes.
That will help retain all the juices into the chicken
and make sure that your chicken doesn't dry out.
So a classic Caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce.
I love romaine lettuce because
it has a wonderful crunch to it
and the leaves are so big and beautiful.
So much so that I don't even like to cut it.
I like to serve the leaves whole on the plate
and let each person cut the lettuce themselves.
That way you'll have a really beautiful presentation.
To our lettuce leaves, we're going to add our croutons
and our dressing.
Give that all a good toss, making sure that
all the leaves and croutons are covered.
And then what I like to do is portion that out
onto plates and then add our chicken.
And one other little thing that I like to add,
which is not traditional at all,
but it's something that my mother love's in a Caesar salad.
She had it at a restaurant once,
and ever since then I've been throwing them
into Caesar salad's and that's some roasted pine nuts.
It's really delicious and adds one more texture
to your salad.
Then you're going to finish the whole thing off
with some more grated parmesan cheese
and some freshly cracked pepper.
And there you have it,
a homemade grilled chicken Caesar salad
that will rival any you'll be able to order
at a restaurant, I promise.
Give this one a try and let me know what you think,
and keep those requests coming.
I love hearing from you guys
and if I know how to make it,
I'll definitely share the recipe.
I'll see you next time.