This is an easy salad that’s totally doable on a weeknight. Wash and spin the lettuce dry up to 5 days in advance; store it in a zip top container with a paper towel.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: caesar salad, garum
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Croutons
5-inchsectionabout 5 ounces ciabatta or similar type of bread
Kosher salt
2 ½tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
Dressing and salad
1clovegarlicminced and mashed with the broad side of a knife or put through a press
Black pepperfreshly ground preferred
2teaspoonsfish sauce or State Bird Garumsee link in Notes
2tablespoonsfresh lemon juice
¼teaspoonDijon mustard
3tablespoonsmayonnaise
2 ½tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
Leavesfrom 2 large romaine lettuce heartswashed and thoroughly dried (1 pound total)
½cupgrated parmesan cheeseuse the smallest holes on a box grater
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, trim the crust from the break, then cut the naked results into ½ to ¾-inch cubes. Put them into a bowl, toss with a sprinkling of kosher salt and 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Put on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring midway, until crisp and golden. Cool before using.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, scant ¼ teaspoon pepper, fish sauce, lemon juice and mustard. Taste and tweak to make sure it’s pleasant. Whisk in the mayonnaise. Drizzle in the oil as you whisk to create an emulsion. Set aside, or refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Leave the lettuce leaves whole or cut them crosswise into large pieces. Put the romaine into a large bowl and sprinkle on about 6 tablespoons of the cheese and some black pepper. Use your hands or tongs to gently toss and dust the leaves. Add most of the dressing and toss to coat well.
Taste and season with more dressing, lemon juice, black pepper or a shot of fish sauce. The flavor of the romaine will dictate your tweaks. Divide among salad plates. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and if you like, extra black pepper.
Notes
You can bake the croutons up to 5 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To make garum, see the State Bird garum recipe. Homemade umami mayonnaise is always nice in the dressing if you want to send it over the top!