Charred Caesar Salad

Serves: 6
Course: Side Dish
Cooking Time: 0 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves 63 egg yolks
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp anchovy essence
  • splash Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 180ml olive oil
  • flesh of 1 lemon, finely chopped (remove skin and segment to remove flesh without pith)
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 6 heads baby gem lettuce, halved lengthways
  • olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • GARNISH
  • 100g breadcrumbs, toasted until golden
  • 1tsp thyme
  • salt and pepper
  • 100g Parmesan, very finely grated
  • extra parmesan for shavings
  • jar preserved lemons (optional)

In a bowl, prepare the dressing by mixing the egg yolks, crushed garlic, anchovy essence, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon together.

Add the olive oil gradually but steadily, whisking all the time to thicken it up. Add the diced lemon, extra vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Heat your chargrill pan until it’s smoking. Rub the flat side of the lettuce head with oil and char, flat-side down, for 30 seconds – the lettuce will soften but not wilt entirely. Mix the toasted breadcrumbs – you can do this by putting them on a baking tray at 150 degrees for 5-10 minutes – with the thyme, salt and pepper, and the finely grated Parmesan.

To assemble the salad, place the charred lettuce on a plate, charred side up, and spoon over the dressing, the breadcrumbs and the extra Parmesan shavings. Garnish with a few preserved lemons.

Domini Kemp

Domini Kemp

Domini Kemp, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a chef and food writer