Ensalada Caesar (Caesar Salad)

This is truly a Southwestern salad. It was developed in Tijuana in the 1920s. It was created by an Italian chef for Americans who flocked into Mexico to escape Prohibition.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 egg, unshelled
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3 small heads romaine, stripped of less crisp outer leaves
  • 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a heavy ovenproof skillet, warm 1/4 cup of the oil over medium heat. Sliver 1 garlic clove, add it to the oil, and sauté about 1 minute. Stir in the bread cubes, tossing them to coat well with the oil.
  3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the bread cubes for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp.
  4. In a small saucepan, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boil. Slip the egg into the water and boil for exactly 1 minute. When broken the egg will still be runny. Or you can completely hard boil it and use the mashed yolk in the dressing.
  5. In a blender, puree the remaining garlic with the remaining oil and pour the mixture through a strainer into a large bowl. Add the egg to the oil and, with a fork, blend in the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
  6. Add romaine leaves, all laying the same direction in the bowl. Toss the romaine gently with the dressing. Scatter the cheese over the salad, and serve immediately.