[Intro music]
Many times you will hear me talking about traditional
French,Italian or Spanish specialities.
For once, this is a North American speciality. The Caesar salad.
Although, not very well known in Europe,
you can see it on the menu of some French restaurants now. How ironic!
The secret is the tasty creamy dressing that is a perfect combination
with the crispiness of the romaine lettuce.
To make a beautiful Caesar salad, you will need romaine lettuce,
bread, salt, freshly ground peppercorns,
anchovies, yogurt, olive oil, capers, lemon juice,
English sauce or Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco,
shredded or shaved Parmesan, garlic and fresh mayonnaise.
Start to make the sauce.
You may chop everything finely and mix it in a bowl,
or you may use technology and a food processor without there germ.
Place the garlic in the bowl of food processor.
Add the anchovy fillets, add the capers.
Process.
Clean the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Process again.
Then add the yogurt, the lemon juice,
the Worcestershire sauce, the Tabasco and the mayonnaise.
If you are using fresh mayonnaise, you may keep the sauce for 2-3 days max
in your refrigerator or if you want to keep the sauce longer,
I would suggest to use commercial mayonnaise,
because in fresh mayonnaise, there is raw egg yolk.
That’s just why. Then process, combine everything.
Taste. Hmm. Very nice.
Add a little bit of seasoning- some salt, and freshly ground peppercorns.
Good. Process again.
Good. Use the other side of the spoon.
Hmm. The seasoned dressing has a kick.
I can taste the garlic, the lemon juice, the anchovies
and then the seasoning and the yogurt at the end. Really nice.
Reserve the sauce refrigerated until further use.
Prepare the croutons. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes.
For the bread, you may use the Baguettes, or any kind of bread you like,
including foccaccia.
You don’t have to use fresh bread, you could use old bread.
Great! Lets sauté the bread.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
Then add the bread.
Cook the crouton on a high heat and sauté them.
Have them nicely golden brown.
The croutons are very important in the Caesar salad.
They have to be crispy, they have to be golden brown and they are so good.
They don’t have to be seasoned with the garlic
because when you eat the salad, then you will have crouton toast with the dressing.
So we will get the flavour of the sauce.
Hmm. Did I tell you how much I like Caesar salad
and how often they don’t taste good?
Very often you will go somewhere and you order Caesar salad,
it will be disappointing, because the sauce does not have enough flavour
to get combine with the lettuce.
So this is important to have a dressing that is full of flavour.
If you want to save some calories, you may not sauté the crouton in the olive oil,
and just place them on the cookie sheet and bake them
at 400-425 degrees F until golden brown. You will save quite a few calories.
Then turn off the heat and place the crouton on a paper towel
to absorb any excess of fat.
Good. Lets finish the salad.
Cut the romaine lettuce in 2 parts, right. So I have prewashed my salad.
And cut right. So cut the leaves into 3 quarter to one inch pieces.
I feel I will keep that one as a garnish.
Add some sauce. 1. 2. 3 tablespoons of yogurt.
Some croutons. And toss.
So you want to have every piece of salad, every crouton tossed with the dressing.
Great. Then serve into a bowl. Add crouton over.
Don’t forget the parmesan cheese.
Then add the leaf that you kept earlier on side.
Caesar salad. Bon appétit!