クラシック・シーザーサラダ
Crisp romaine, garlicky homemade croutons, and shaved Parmesan tossed in a bold anchovy-yolk dressing you whisk together in one bowl. Mashing the anchovies and garlic into a paste before building the emulsion means every leaf gets that salty, savory backbone instead of stray bits, and streaming the oil in slowly gives you a dressing that clings like the restaurant version rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Toss 200 g of torn crusty bread with 3 tablespoons olive oil and a little salt, then bake at 190°C (375°F) for about 15 minutes until deep golden. Meanwhile, mash 2 garlic cloves and 6 anchovy fillets into a smooth paste, whisk in 2 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons Dijon, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, then stream in 120 ml olive oil drop by drop at first until the dressing is thick and glossy. Stir in 30 g grated Parmesan and black pepper, toss with 3 chopped romaine hearts and the croutons, and finish with Parmesan shavings.
- Dry the romaine completely after washing — water on the leaves dilutes the dressing and stops it from clinging.
- Add the oil in a thin, slow stream while whisking constantly; dumping it in fast is what breaks the emulsion.
- Mash the anchovies and garlic into a paste with a pinch of coarse salt so their flavor dissolves evenly into the dressing instead of landing in chunks.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Salad spinner
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Medium mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
- Vegetable peeler (for Parmesan shavings)
- Large salad bowl
材料
Croutons
- 200 g day-old crusty bread (baguette or country loaf), torn into bite-size pieces, torn pieces catch more dressing than neat cubes
- 45 ml olive oil
- 1.5 g fine sea salt
- garlic clove, halved, for rubbing the warm croutons
Dressing
- garlic cloves
- anchovy fillets, oil-packed, about 24 g; drained
- large egg yolks, use pasteurized eggs if serving anyone pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised
- 10 g Dijon mustard
- 45 ml fresh lemon juice, from 1 to 2 lemons
- 5 ml Worcestershire sauce
- 120 ml olive oil, use a mild olive oil, or half extra-virgin and half neutral oil so the dressing doesn't turn bitter
- 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
Salad
- romaine hearts, about 500 g / 18 oz total
- 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved, shave with a vegetable peeler
作り方
- ステップ01
Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the torn bread with 45 ml (3 tbsp) olive oil and the salt until every piece glistens. Spread in a single layer and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once halfway, until deep golden and crisp all the way through. While still warm, rub a few pieces with the cut side of the halved garlic clove and toss — the residual heat pulls the garlic flavor into the bread. Set aside to cool.
- ステップ02
Mince the 2 garlic cloves and the anchovy fillets together on your cutting board, then sprinkle with a small pinch of coarse salt and drag the flat of your knife across the pile repeatedly until it becomes a smooth, spreadable paste. This step is what gives the dressing its seamless savory depth — no fishy chunks, just background umami. Scrape the paste into a medium bowl.
- ステップ03
Add the egg yolks, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the bowl with the anchovy-garlic paste. Whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds until the mixture is uniform and slightly lightened in color. Set the bowl on a damp kitchen towel twisted into a ring so it stays put while you whisk with one hand and pour with the other.
- ステップ04
Whisking constantly, add the 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil literally drop by drop for the first tablespoon or so, then in a thin, steady stream. The dressing should thicken to the consistency of loose mayonnaise and turn pale and glossy. If it ever looks greasy or separated, stop adding oil and whisk in a teaspoon of warm water to bring it back together before continuing.
- ステップ05
Stir in the grated Parmesan and black pepper. Taste with a leaf of romaine, not a spoon — the dressing should taste slightly too intense on its own, because the lettuce mellows it. Adjust with more lemon juice for brightness or a small pinch of salt if it tastes flat. You'll have about 240 ml (1 cup) of dressing.
- ステップ06
Trim the root ends from the romaine hearts, separate the leaves, and wash them in cold water. Spin them completely dry in a salad spinner, then blot with a clean towel — this is non-negotiable, since any clinging water will thin the dressing and make the salad watery. Tear or chop the leaves into large bite-size pieces and, if you have time, chill them for 10 minutes for maximum crunch.
- ステップ07
In your largest bowl, toss the romaine with about three-quarters of the dressing until every leaf is lightly coated, adding more only if needed — the leaves should be slicked, not drenched. Add the croutons, toss twice more, and pile onto plates. Finish with the Parmesan shavings and a generous grind of black pepper, and serve immediately while the leaves are crisp.
Make ahead
All three components can be prepped ahead and assembled in under 5 minutes: make the dressing up to 3 days in advance, bake the croutons up to 5 days ahead, and wash, dry, and chop the romaine up to a day ahead, storing it in the refrigerator wrapped loosely in a dry kitchen towel inside a zip-top bag. Keep everything separate and toss just before serving.
Storage
The dressing keeps in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; give it a hard stir or shake before using, as it thickens when cold. Store cooled croutons in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days and re-crisp them in a 175°C (350°F) oven for 3 to 4 minutes if they soften. Once dressed, the salad does not keep — the romaine wilts within an hour — so only toss what you plan to eat.
Variations
Grilled Chicken Caesar
Turn it into a main course for four: season 2 boneless chicken breasts (about 450 g / 1 lb) with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, grill or pan-sear over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F), rest 5 minutes, then slice and fan over the dressed salad.
Egg-Free Shortcut Caesar
Skip the yolks and the hand-whisked emulsion entirely: whisk the anchovy-garlic paste, Dijon, lemon juice, and Worcestershire into 90 g (6 tbsp) of mayonnaise, then thin with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to a pourable consistency. It's faster, it can't break, and it avoids raw egg for anyone who needs to.
Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Caesar
Replace the anchovies with 1 tablespoon of rinsed, minced capers plus 1 teaspoon of white miso for savory depth, swap the Worcestershire for a vegetarian brand, use a vegetarian Parmesan-style hard cheese (traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano contains animal rennet), and make the croutons from a sturdy gluten-free loaf.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
よくある質問
Is it safe to eat the raw egg yolks in this dressing?
The yolks are what give a traditional caesar salad recipe its rich, clingy texture, and the risk from fresh, refrigerated eggs is low for most healthy adults. That said, if you're serving anyone pregnant, very young, elderly, or immunocompromised, use pasteurized eggs (sold in the shell at many supermarkets) or make the mayonnaise-based variation, which skips raw egg entirely with almost no loss of flavor.
Can I make Caesar dressing without anchovies?
You can, but know that anchovies are doing quiet, essential work — they read as savory depth, not fish, once mashed into the dressing. If you leave them out, replace them with 1 tablespoon of minced capers plus 1 teaspoon of white miso to restore some of that umami. If you're merely anchovy-hesitant, start with 3 fillets instead of 6; most skeptics can't identify them in the finished salad.
Why did my dressing break, and can I fix it?
A broken dressing — greasy, separated, thin — almost always means the oil went in faster than the yolks could absorb it. To rescue it, put a teaspoon of warm water in a clean bowl and whisk the broken dressing into it a little at a time; the emulsion will re-form. To prevent it next time, add the oil drop by drop for the first tablespoon before graduating to a thin stream.
What's the best lettuce for a caesar salad recipe?
Romaine hearts are the classic choice because their sturdy, juicy ribs stand up to a thick dressing and stay crunchy. Little Gem lettuce is an excellent substitute with the same crisp texture in a smaller leaf. Avoid soft lettuces like butter or leaf lettuce — they collapse under the weight of the dressing within minutes.
How far ahead can I make the components?
The dressing holds for 3 days refrigerated, croutons keep 5 days in an airtight container, and washed, thoroughly dried romaine stays crisp overnight wrapped in a dry towel in the fridge. The one rule that makes or breaks this caesar salad recipe is timing the toss: combine everything only in the last few minutes before serving, because dressed leaves wilt fast.
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