1 clove garlic; 6 anchovy fillets; 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; 1 egg; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon wine vinegar; 4 slices bread, cut thin; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 heads romaine lettuce.
Mash garlic in a large wooden salad bowl, discard pulp, then add anchovy fillets and cheese and mash into smooth paste. Coddle egg for one minute, add to anchovy-cheese mixture and work smooth, blend oil and vinegar. Butter bread on both sides, cube it small and brown until crisp for croutons. Wash, dry, and crisp romaine, break into bowl, add croutons and toss until dressing has suffused leaves. Serves 4–6.
Named for Tijuana restaurateur Caesar Cardini, who first mixed it in an emergency in 1924 after finding himself short of salad ingredients, this tasty dish was nominated “the greatest recipe to originate from the Americas in fifty years” by the International Society of Epicures in Paris.