Fallen Souffle

Cravings have been dictating the menu this week (really lack of menu as I am fighting a cold) and luckily I just needed to grab some lettuce and bread and cheese at the store to make this salad. Caesar salads are not something I ever order out because I find most to be really gross. The dressing is too heavy, the cheese if fake and the croutons are from a box. I first made this salad back in college, junior year if I remember correctly. Thinking back to that year in school, I cooked a lot. I was in my first apartment so I took advantage of having a full kitchen at my disposal. Food Network was always on the TV (somethings don’t change) and I was always printing up recipes in the computer labs, quickly snatching them up from the printer so I wouldn’t get in trouble for doing non-school related computer work. I think that year in college really molded me as a cook, I would try just about anything and was not afraid to accidentally set off the smoke alarm making chicken parmesan.

This recipe was inspired by the Alton Brown recipe but I tweaked it by making the dressing in the bowl and not on the leaves. I think the consistency is better and better incorporated the anchovy paste (if you decide to use it). The Worcestershire sauce provides enough saltiness if you don’t want to use anchovy paste but I felt it wouldn’t be a caeser salad with out it

Caesar Salad
1 loaf day old Italian bread
3 garlic cloves, mashed
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
2 eggs
2 heads romaine lettuce, inner leaves only
7 grinds black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
6 drops Worcestershire sauce
squirt of anchovy pasta if you so desire
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut 1/2 to 3/4-inch croutons from the loaf of bread and place on a baking sheet and put into the oven until dry but not browned.

Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic with 4 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Strain the oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add the dried croutons and fry, tossing constantly until all of the oil is absorbed and the croutons turn gold. Set aside. (Or you can be lazy like me and just finely mince garlic and add garlic to the olive oil in a pan over low heat until you can smell the garlic, raise temperature a bit, add croutons and fry)

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the eggs and cook for 1 minute. Chill in ice water to halt cooking. Set aside.

In a very large bowl, add remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy pasta and egg yolks (yes they will be raw) and whisk vigorously. Add lettuce leaves and toss until coated. Toss in Parmesan cheese and serve with croutons.

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