It was my sister's high school recognition day earlier this morning. For those who don't have them, a recognition day is an event where they dish out honors and awards to give recognition to the students who were "exemplary". My sister got a silver medal and seven other awards on visual arts, creative writing, leadership, sports, etc.
Mom brought us to Pizza Hut to celebrate. They have those Php99.00 meals that include one appetizer, one main dish, and a beverage. All for Php 99.00 only. Sweet!
Anyhow, when we go for this, I never ever fail to order caesar salad for the appetizer. It's a very simple one, actually. Something you can make in three minutes, tops. (Provided that you're not a bad lettuce shredder like I am, of course.) It's got fresh, cruuuunchy romaine lettuce, chunks of croutons, shreds of bacon, a generous amount of salad dressing, and sprinkles of cheese. Simple, innit?
Of course, that really ain't the caesar salad serve elsewhere, but for something in a 99-peso package deal, it was awesome. It started my love for caesar salad. So now I could live on caesar salad for the rest of my life, provided it has enough bacon on it and no bitter lettuce taste. It gives my summer a healthy kick.
So I decided to try making one at home (because I can't keep going to Pizza Hut whenever I have the craving for something leafy). I browsed around for recipes, and found one that seems pretty easy and simple, but still involves lots of cruuuunchy lettuce and bigger amounts of bacon. It has to be bacon. Chicken is too...ordinary. And since I just watched Angels and Demons earlier, let's go by something Italian. Because the Italian accent is just...luuurve!
Anyhow, here it is, taken from Giada de Laurentiis (because you can't get more Italian than the queen of Italian cooking). It's called the Italian Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem so simple.
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
3 garlic cloves
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Polenta Croutons:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups Basic Polenta, recipe follows
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Salad:
3 small heads (or 2 large heads) romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 1/2 ounces shaved Parmesan
DIRECTIONS
To make the dressing: Finely chop the garlic and anchovies in a food processor. Blend in the lemon juice and mustard. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
To make the croutons: Spread the olive oil over a small baking sheet. Transfer the hot polenta to the baking sheet, spreading evenly to form an 8 by 5 by 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Cover and refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Cut the polenta into 3/4-inch cubes. Pat the polenta cubes dry with paper towels. Add enough vegetable oil to a heavy large frying pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over high heat. Working in batches of 10, carefully add the polenta cubes to the oil 1 at a time and fry until golden brown, stirring to keep the cubes separate, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the polenta croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
(The dressing and polenta croutons can be prepared 1 day ahead up to this point. Cover the dressing and polenta croutons separately and refrigerate. Rewarm the polenta croutons on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven before serving.)
To make the salad: Prepare the barbecue for high heat. Grill the lettuce until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
On a serving platter, mound the grilled chopped lettuce. Decoratively scatter the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Drizzle with enough dressing to evenly coat. Sprinkle Parmesan and scatter the warm polenta croutons over and serve immediately.
Basic Polenta:
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.
Lightly oil a half sheet pan. Transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
Yield: 2 cups polenta
CookTime: 15 minutes
So yeah, I wanted something simple. But I should've know if I turned to gourmet chefs, they have a different definition for simple. Yeah. But you could just buy salad dressing from the supermarket. Quick and simple. But still, this is summer--the time for challenges. Let's get rid of the quick and simple now that we've got more time on our hands!
But seriously, if you wanted something easier, try Tyler Florence's.
INGREDIENTS
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, smashed with a pinch of salt and a little olive oil
4 anchovy fillets
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 lemons, juiced
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
2 heads romaine lettuce
DIRECTIONS
Make the dressing: Smear the garlic paste over the inside of the salad bowl. Put the anchovies, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper; set aside. (Refrigerate the dressing if you will not be using it right away.)
Assemble the salad: Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking. Add some extra Parmesan and toss the salad well. Serve immediately.
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| (Photo courtesy of The Food Network.) |
Bon appetit!
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