Who doesn’t love Caesar Salad? This one has a little twist with maple bacon. A taste sensation! It’s a complete dinner with homemade croutons and fresh Parmesan.
Ingredients:
Serves 4
Dressing:
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2-3 anchovies
- 1 Tbs of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp of mustard powder or mustard
- 1 Tbs of fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbs of red wine vinegar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tsp of kosher salt plus more for making garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp of ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- a little water for thinning out
Salad:
- 2 hearts of romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup of freshly grated or shaved Parmesan cheese
- 6 pieces of bacon
- 1 Tbs of maple syrup for the bacon
Croutons:
- 1/2 of a french baguette, torn into bite sized pieces
- 1 Tbs of butter
- 1 Tbs of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450°
Place 6 pieces of bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with 1 Tbs of maple syrup and bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy. Let cool and crumble.
Make the croutons, tear the baguette into bite sized pieces. In a heavy skillet, over medium heat, add the butter, oil and garlic cloves, heat until the butter is melted, then add the bread and cook until lightly browned and toasted, about 10 minutes or so. Remove the garlic cloves after a few minutes, they add a lot of flavor! Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
For the dressing: I like to whisk the dressing by hand, the extra virgin olive oil is too delicate for a mixer. Smash the garlic, chop up and mix with a little salt. Using the back of your knife, mash into a paste. Do the same with the anchovies.
Place the garlic and anchovies an a bowl and add in the remaining dressing ingredients, leaving the oil until last, whisk it in slowly Add a little water if you need to thin it out.
Wash and remove the outer leaves of the Romaine. Tear into bite sized pieces, place in a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over, toss well. Plate the salad, add the crumbled bacon, croutons and top with Parmesan cheese.
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