Caesar Salad with Croutons

This is a first for me, making caesar salad dressing and croutons from scratch. But it was easier than I thought - and tasty! The recipe came from my Wine Lover's Cookbook, though, per usual, I didn't exactly follow directions (see asterisked notes). We paired it with some leftover Tomato Basil Soup and a bottle of unoaked Chardonnay.

Sid's Caesar Salad

7 anchovy fillets
1/3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tbsp roasted garlic
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil ¹
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices sourdough or other hearty French or Italian bread ²
1 egg
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp minced lemon zest ³
1/8 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 3/4 lbs romaine lettuce, cut into bite-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a food processor, combine anchovies, pepper, roasted garlic, and olive oil and process for 1 minute until smooth. Add grated Parmesan and process for 30 seconds. Remove 3 tbsp of dressing. ⁴

Using a brush, spread mixture evenly on both sides of sliced bread. Bake for 20 minutes or until a nice crust develops. Do not burn. Break or cut toast into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan filled more than halfway with water, bring water to a boil. Place a refrigerated egg into water and boil for 1 minute and 15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool.

Place anchovy-olive oil mixture in a large, nonreactive bowl and add remaining ingredients. Spoon entire egg carefully out of shell and add to the mixture. Whisk thoroughly and refrigerate until ready to toss salad.

To serve, place cold romaine in a large salad bowl. Whisk dressing thoroughly and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add to salad and toss vigorously. Add croutons and continue tossing to coat croutons. Serve on well-chilled salad plates.

Wine Pairing: The book actually recommends a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio for this meal. We didn't have either on hand, but we did have an unoaked Chardonnay, which paired brilliantly

1. I measured out 1/3 cup and then added olive oil as needed to make a loose paste. I think, overall, I used maybe 1/2 cup.
2. I used homemade English Muffin bread. Just as tasty.
3. I didn't add lemon zest
4. I actually didn't separate the 3 tbsp. Instead I liberally brushed the mixture onto the bread and used the remainder, which may or may not have been 3 tbsp.