King Ivan’s Organic Caesar Salad

This is an old standby. My Uncle Ivan loves Caesar Salad. Consequently, I grew up eating it most evenings during the summer months. Believe me, that’s quite some pedigree. I still love the flavour combinations that pervade a well-made Caesar. And, when fresh organic ingredients are used, there’s no salad that comes close to it. Actually, I lie. There are a few other great salads besides this one. But more about those later. Let’s get into some Caesar action.

But don’t underestimate this dish. Many people do. They feel that, by virtue of the fact that they’ve had it served to them in a decent restaurant on a handful of occasions, they’re adequately prepared to do it justice. Sometimes, they’re not. And the results can be unflattering. Why? In my experience, many people lose it with the dressing. The dressing should be tangy. It needs a little bit of bite to it. So, don’t be too stingy with the lemon juice.

Don’t worry; you’re in good hands. Today’s recipe is my Uncle Ivan’s. And I reckon he’s the King of the Caesar Salad. So, under the watchful eye of Uncle Ivan, let’s get started.

Ingredients

3 or 4 cloves of organic garlic
1/2 cup of organic extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of organic bread cubes
1 to 2 cos organic lettuce
¼ teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of organic lemon juice
1/3 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
4 lightly hardboiled organic eggs
½ cup of shaved parmesan cheese
50g of anchovy fillets

Method

Peel the garlic and crush under the weight of a heavy knife. Finely chop two cloves of garlic and mix with about ¼ cup of olive oil. Make sure all of the flavour from the garlic infuses the oil. Brush the garlic infused oil over the bread cubes. Place bread on a baking tray and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Make sure the bread turns golden brown before removing. Prepare the lettuce by washing and drying. Tear leaves by hand and place in a large bowl. Chop the remaining two cloves of garlic and add salt. Mix garlic, lemon juice, ¼ cup of olive oil and Worcestershire sauce together. Pour dressing over lettuce. Shell eggs and chop roughly. Sprinkle over parmesan cheese and toss to mix. Cut anchovies into strips and place on top of the salad with croutons.

That’s close to heaven - Uncle Ivan would be proud! Enjoy.