Author Notes
This salad is fantastic as a side to grilled steak. Grilling the romaine lends a nice smokey flavor without much wilting to the leaves. After a slight charring, the leaves are chopped and then tossed with croutons and a rich dressing made from olive oil, fresh eggs, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Not quite a Cesar, but in the same ballpark. —Waverly
Ingredients
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3
large fresh eggs, at room temperature
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2
cloves garlic, whole
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1 teaspoon
salt
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1 teaspoon
white pepper
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1 1/2 teaspoons
Worcestershire sauce
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1/4 cup
fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
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1 teaspoon
lemon zest
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1/2 cup
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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1 cup
extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing the lettuce
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6
heads heart of romaine lettuce, rinsed and dried with paper towels
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2 cups
fresh croutons, made from slicing a baguette into cubes, tossing the cubes in olive oil, and toasting until golden brown...or bought at the store
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salt and freshly grated black pepper to taste
Directions
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MAKE THE DRESSING: This step can be done ahead of time. It makes about 2 cups, so you may have some left over. In a food processor, combine the eggs, garlic, slat, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese. While the machine is running, slowly add the oil. When it is completely blended, pour the dressing into a bowl; cover; and refrigerate.
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GRILL THE ROMAINE HEARTS: Prepare a hot fire. Meanwhile, brush the hearts of romaine with olive oil to coat all sides. Season with salt and black pepper. When the fire is hot, place the lettuce directly over the coals. This goes quickly, so don't go anywhere. Grill the romaine until all sides are just charred, about 1 minute or so per side depending on your fire. Remove the lettuce from the grill and set aside to cool.
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TOSS AND SERVE: Trim the top of each head to make it even, about 1-inch. Holding the lettuce by the root end, chop the it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the root end. Place the lettuce into a serving bowl. Toss the lettuce with enough dressing to coat but not drown the leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fresh croutons on top and serve.
Waverly used to be a lawyer and is now a mother 24/7. She has made a commitment to cooking for her family and absolutely loves it even when her family does not. She is teaching them, one meal at a time, to enjoy wholesome homemade food. She abhors processed food but recognizes its insidious nature and accepts the fact that her children will occasionally get some Skittles, Doritos, or the like. Her philosophy and hope is that if she teaches them well at home, they will prefer wholesome healthy foods when they go out into the world without her.
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