Caesar Salad

The (possible) original version of Caesar salad with croutons

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City/Region: Tijuana, Mexico

Time Period: 1920s

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No one knows for sure who invented the Caesar salad, but most historians agree that it began at a restaurant called Caesar’s in Tijuana, Mexico. There are multiple myths about who really came up with the recipe, but the owner Caesar Cardini did make the salad tableside, it did become wildly popular, and it can still be ordered at Caesar’s today.

The dressing is much lighter than modern creamy Caesar dressing, and the croutons are fantastically crunchy with a hint of garlic. Even though there’s a lot of oil in the recipe, the dressing isn’t oily at all and feels nice and light. You could add chicken or another protein to the salad if you’d like, but it really doesn’t need it.

“The big food rage in Hollywood - the Caesar salad - will be introduced to New Yorkers by Gilmore’s Steak House. It’s an intricate concoction that takes ages to prepare and contains (zowie!) lots of garlic, raw or slightly coddled eggs, croutons, romaine, anchovies, parmeasan cheese, olive oil, vinegar and plenty of black pepper.”

— The Voice of Broadway, 1946

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Ingredients:

2 medium heads of romaine

Croutons

• 2 cups day old Italian bread, cut into cubes
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, optional

Dressing

• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Plenty of fresh ground black pepper
• 1 large egg yolk
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup (160 ml) extra virgin olive oil (Caesar insists on oil imported from Italy)
• 1/4 cup (25 g) freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (also imported from Italy, per Caesar)

Instructions:

1. Cut off the base of the romaine, then strip away the outer leaves until you get to the nice crisp romaine hearts. You’ll need about 20 leaves in all, then wash them well and put them in the refrigerator uncovered for at least an hour so that they dry out and get nice and chilled.
2. For the croutons: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with foil.
3. In a very large bowl (wooden for extra authenticity), mix the garlic with the olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and a crack of pepper if desired. Add the bread and gently toss until it’s well coated.
4. Spread the croutons out over the lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until they’re nice and crispy. You can flip them halfway through, but I didn’t find it necessary.
5. For the dressing: In the same bowl in which you made the croutons, mix the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, cracked pepper, egg yolk, fresh lime juice, and salt.
6. While stirring, slowly drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream. After the oil has been added, mix in the parmesan cheese.
7. Add the chilled romaine to the bowl and gently toss to evenly coat the romaine with the dressing.
8. To serve: Arrange several pieces of the romaine on a chilled plate, top with a bit more grated parmesan cheese, add the croutons, and serve it forth.

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