Picking Favorites: Grilled Caesar Salad

While some of these recipes are like my children, I am not ashamed to tell you my favorites.  This Caesar salad, which I am about to explain to you, is my absolute favorite salad to make at home.  Even with the ability that I have, I cannot fully explain the deliciousness that is this particular Caesar salad.  I also cannot pick out one thing that puts this salad above the rest.  From the charred and slightly wilted Romaine leaves, to the freshly grilled croutons, to the beautifully acidic and garlicky homemade Caesar dressing, all of them play a part in making this salad absolutely mouthwatering.  In fact, to be brutally honest, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about this salad.  It's that good, people!  Another way to show this is my favorite salad is the fact that I have made this salad over and over and over again over the past 4 years since I bought this issue of Gourmet (RIP)-- oh yeah, this is also the issue which moved me to get a subscription of Gourmet-- so that should say something.  You can easily make this into a meal by adding grilled chicken, which is what I did on this particular occasion, but it is an awesome side dish to pretty much anything.  It's great with grilled meats, since the reason behind the creation recipe was to utilize the residual heat of the grill after grilling steaks or chicken.  Honestly, I think we've actually just eaten this salad as it is as our dinner a few times.

I think I've said all I can about this salad.  I mean, at the base of it this is JUST a salad, albeit a super delicious fantastic salad.  One note of caution, which I want to tell everyone, this Caesar dressing is a true Caesar dressing, meaning it requires raw egg.  I've read other raw-egg recipes where you can boil the egg for only a minute, therefore cooking it just enough to hedge your bets against salmonella.  Gourmet suggests buying pasteurized eggs in the shell (as opposed to the scrambled eggs in the carton), which are available in the grocery store.  I was squeamish at first about using raw egg, but I've gotten used to it.  I will say, though, that if you do decide to use raw egg, which is chemically "cooked" by the lemon juice, the dressing is only good for that day.  Marshall and I tried using some and saving it for the next night, but it just wasn't quite right.  It was also super "eggy", which really turned me off.  But, I completely understand the desire to stay away from using raw eggs; it is a definite risk.  ...a delicious risk...  OK, I'll stop trying to persuade you to use raw eggs if you don't want to.  Oh yeah, if the raw egg wasn't enough already, the dressing also contains anchovies.  If you're allergic to fish, keep this in mind.  You can easily omit this ingredient if necessary.

Grilled Caesar Salad
Serves 6

2 Flat Anchovy Fillets, drained and chopped (You can easily use Anchovy Paste, just a small squeeze will be perfect)
1 Garlic Clove, small (-ish), chopped
1/2 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
12 (1/2"-thick) Slices Baguette
1 Large Egg
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice, or to taste if you want more zing!
3 Hearts of Romaine (about 18 ounces)
1 Ounce Finely Grated Parmesan Cheese (about 1/2 Cup)

1.  Purée anchovies, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth.
2.  Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal or medium heat burners.
3.  Brush both sides of baguette slices with the anchovy-olive-oil mixture, then grill bred, turning over occasionally, until toasted, 1-2 minutes.

4.  Add egg and lemon juice to dressing in blender and blend until emulsified, 1-2 minutes.  Season with salt, if needed.
5.  Cut Romaine hearts in half lengthwise, then grill, cut sides down, until grill marks just appear, about 2 minutes.  Cut Romaine crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips and transfer to a bowl.
6.  Halve or quarter toasts and add to Romaine, along with the grated Parmesan cheese (and any extras like grilled chicken or steak or shrimp).
7.  Toss salad with just enough dressing to coat and serve immediately.
(Credit:  Gourmet, June 2007, p. 161)