Creole Caesar Salad
Ingredients
- romaine lettuce (as needed)
- red romaine lettuce (or other red lettuce, as needed)
- boston lettuce (or other texturally different lettuce, as needed)
- 2 egg yolks
- 6 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T lemon juice
- 1 T whole grain mustard (or Creole mustard, or brown mustard)
- 1/2 t ground black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1/2 t soy sauce
- 1/2 t fish sauce
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 c minced pickled garlic
- 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
- croutons (for serving)
Method
Thoroughly wash the lettuce, however much you need for however many people you are serving. Drain and dry thoroughly.
Cut lettuce into 1/2" wide strips, and reasonable lengths for salad. Toss the lettuce in a bowl with half the oil until all of the lettuce is completely covered with oil.
In a separate bowl, place the egg yolks, start whisking (a handheld electric mixer is recommended) with bowl tipped so that the whisks interact with the egg yolks. Very slowly add the remaining oil to the egg yolks, forming an emulsion (mayonnaise). Once all the oil has been added, mix in the remaining ingredients except the cheese.
Pour some of the dressing over the lettuce, toss to coat all of the leaves, add more dressing and continue to toss as necessary. Reserve any remaining dressing for another time. Chill salad well, but no longer than two hours. Add cheese, toss gently, add croutons, and serve!
Notes
SJ Note 18 March 2010: We quite liked the flavor of this, but felt it could be creamier, so I've rewritten this version to reflect what we plan to do next time. By starting with mayonnaise, we should have a creamier dressing. And I think it should keep in the fridge for a bit, so we'll make a full batch of dressing, and just adjust the amount of lettuce, which should make life easier.