Grilled Caesar Salad
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Grilled salad may seem like an oxymoron, but we were intrigued by the idea of the
flavors of a classic Caesar salad enriched with the smoky char of the grill. We found
that compact romaine hearts held their shape better than whole heads. We halved them
lengthwise to increase their surface area, making sure to keep the core intact so
the leaves didn’t fall apart on the grill. To prevent sticking, we brushed the leaves
with dressing. Just 1 to 2 minutes over a hot grill gave us a smoky and charred (not
wilted) exterior. To keep things simple, we replaced the croutons with slices of crusty
bread grilled alongside the lettuce. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.
SERVES 6
Our favorite Parmesan cheese is Boar’s Head Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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DRESSING |
|
|
1 |
tablespoon lemon juice |
|
1 |
garlic clove, minced |
|
½ |
cup mayonnaise |
|
½ |
ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup) |
|
1 |
tablespoon white wine vinegar |
|
1 |
tablespoon Worcestershire sauce |
|
1 |
tablespoon Dijon mustard |
|
2 |
anchovy fillets, rinsed |
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½ |
teaspoon salt |
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½ |
teaspoon pepper |
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¼ |
cup extra-virgin olive oil |
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SALAD |
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|
1 |
(12-inch) baguette, cut on bias into 5-inch-long, ½-inch-thick slices |
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3 |
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
|
1 |
garlic clove, peeled |
|
3 |
romaine lettuce hearts (18 ounces), halved lengthwise through cores |
|
½ |
ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup) |
1. FOR THE DRESSING: Combine lemon juice and garlic in bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Process mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon-garlic mixture, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, anchovies, salt, and pepper in blender for about 30 seconds. With blender running, slowly add oil. Reserve 6 tablespoons dressing for brushing romaine.
2A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
2B. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.
3. FOR THE SALAD: Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush bread with oil and grill (over coals if using charcoal), uncovered, until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to platter and rub with garlic clove. Brush cut sides of romaine with reserved dressing; place half of romaine, cut side down, on grill (over coals if using charcoal). Grill, uncovered, until lightly charred, 1 to 2 minutes. Move to platter with bread. Repeat. Drizzle romaine with remaining dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve.