Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Hawthornes Create Their World-Famous Caesar Salad.

You haven't had a Caesar Salad 
until you've had the Hawthornes' Caesar Salad.
Yes, people come from miles away for a seat at the Hawthorne table
 whenever we serve our Caesar Salads with homemade croutons.
Caesar Salad Dressing

3 anchovy filets
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon
1 TB Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 coddled egg
3/4 cup Bertolli Extra light olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

You can do this with a mortar and pestle or a blender.
I prefer a mortar and pestle.
Pestle the anchovies and garlic in a mortar.
Whisk in mustard, lemon juice, and Lea & Perrins.
To coddle an egg, nuke a cup of water until boiling.
Drop in the egg (the whole egg) and leave it for 1 minute.
Crack the egg into the anchovy mixture and whisk it in.
Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly to get a nice emulsion.

I prefer using Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil 
for my Caesar Salads because it doesn't overpower the dressing,
like some stronger olive oils would do.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Homemade Croutons
1 French or Italian loaf, torn into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs

(parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano)
6 TB unsalted butter
2 TB Bertolli Extra Light Olive Oil

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add in oil and butter.
When the butter melts, stir in the chopped herbs.
Add in the bread pieces and garlic.
Toss to coat and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Turn bread pieces onto a sheet pan in a single layer.
Cook in a 250° oven, tossing occasionally, for an hour.
Turn off oven and leave in the croutons for another hour.

To serve, toss torn Romaine lettuce with the dressing.
Add croutons and additional Parmesan if desired.
Enjoy!

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