Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
Since its inception in Tijuana, Mexico, just over a century ago, the Caesar has become one of the most well-loved and recognizable dishes in the salad realm, distinguished more by its garlicky-lemony-Parmesan-y dressing than its traditional romaine, which is often swapped for other lettuces, or even kale.
As with most culinary origin stories there are competing versions, but local historians seem to support Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who founded a restaurant called Caesar’s with his brother, Alex, as having created it on a busy Fourth of July weekend. As the story goes, Prohibition was driving customers across the border from California, and when they started running low on food, Caesar pulled together ingredients they had on hand to make what became known as Caesar’s salad.
A 1967 story in the Chicago Tribune about Alex Cardini and the origin of the Caesar includes detailed instructions. Titled “Here’s the Original Recipe,” it calls for light olive oil infused with plenty of garlic and eggs boiled for exactly one minute (which cooks a thin outer layer of the white, but leaves it mostly raw).
“Be sure to mix the salad where everyone can watch,” the recipe instructs, and specifies a wooden salad bowl to toss crisp, whole leaves of romaine – “do not tear into small pieces” – with salt and pepper, garlicky olive oil, a hearty amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the one-minute eggs, Worcestershire sauce and the juice of fresh lemons. But here’s the best, and perhaps most surprising part: The last on a list of special tips offered by Cardini, “and Mr. Cardini is serious about this one,” it says, is to eat the salad with your fingers. “It tastes much better this way,” he says.
Because most people love a creamy Caesar, I’ve modified the 1967 version slightly, keeping the suggested serving method but painting on the dressing, leaving the stem end bare for ease of eating with your fingers. Toasted crumbs tend to be easier on the teeth than croutons, and provide better, crunchier coverage for dressed romaine leaves. (If you have bread ends in the freezer they can be grated frozen, using the large holes of a box grater.) If you like a fishy flavour to your Caesar, add a bit of mashed anchovy or a crumbled small sheet of nori to your dressing.
A Nearly-traditional Finger Caesar Salad
As with most salads (and their dressings), measurements don’t need to be precise – toast some crumbs, mix up some dressing, adjusting the lemon, Worcestershire and garlic to suit your taste, and paint as many leaves of Romaine as you want to eat, leaving the stem end undressed for mess-free eating. Top generously with freshly grated Parmesan and toasted crumbs and eat each leaf with your fingers, folding it slightly like a lettuce wrap if it’s extra loaded.
Toasted crumbs
- Oil and/or butter, for cooking
- Rough breadcrumbs or small pieces of chopped or torn bread
- Garlic powder (optional)
- Salt
Caesar dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of half a lemon (or a whole one if you like things lemony)
- 1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small garlic clove, finely crushed or grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Smaller, crisp leaves of romaine (3-5 a person)
To make the toasted crumbs, heat a drizzle of oil and/or butter in an appropriately sized skillet and toast your crumbs, adding a bit of garlic powder if you like, and sprinkling with a bit of salt, until golden. Set aside.
To make the dressing, stir together the mayo, lemon juice, Worcestershire, garlic and pepper with a fork, then add as much freshly ground Parmesan as you like. (Because freshly grated Parmesan is airy, I tend to add about as much as there is dressing in my mixing bowl or jar.) Taste and season with salt if you think it needs it.
Using a pastry brush, brush each leaf of Romaine with dressing, leaving the end of the stem bare to make it easier to pick up, and arrange on individual plates or a platter. Grate over loads of Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with the toasted crumbs. Add extra black pepper too, if you like. Serves as many as you like. (Quantities are approximate, and easily doubled if you like having a stash of Caesar dressing in the fridge.)
