The Art of Making Perfect Caesar Salad Croutons and Dressing

When it comes to making a truly exceptional Caesar salad, there are two crucial components that can make all the difference: great croutons and great dressing. In this article, we will explore the secrets behind creating perfect croutons and a delicious Caesar dressing from scratch.

Cutting and Preparing Croutons

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For our croutons, I don't have time to wait around for day-old bread, so I opt for a rough crostini-style bread. I cut it into bite-sized pieces and toss them with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and parmesan cheese. This simple preparation method allows the bread to dry out slightly, which complements the Caesar salad perfectly.

To ensure even drying, I spread the croutons on a baking sheet and pop them into the oven. As they bake, the aroma of toasted bread fills the air, teasing my taste buds with anticipation. When the timer goes off, I remove the croutons from the oven and let them cool down to room temperature.

Making Caesar Dressing

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The real pièce de résistance is the Caesar dressing itself. I start by peeling fresh eggs, taking care not to crack any of the delicate yolks. Next, I sprinkle a pinch of salt onto each egg yolk, followed by a bit of time (the white part of the egg). This simple step helps tenderize the eggs and ensures they don't become too runny.

With my eggs ready, I move on to the next ingredient: garlic. I mince it finely and add it to the mix, along with a small anchovy. Yes, you read that right – anchovies! These salty, umami-rich fish are the key to creating a rich and savory dressing. I rake the anchovy over the egg mixture using two forks, helping to break down the fish into a smooth paste.

A dash of dijon mustard adds a tangy flavor to the mix, while a squeeze of lemon or lime juice provides a hint of brightness. Finally, I add a bit more olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste, stirring everything together until it's well combined.

Tableside Preparation

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When I was working as the "bomb bait captain" at Red Lion Motor in Eureka, we used to make Caesar dressing tableside for our customers. It was a show-stopping experience that left everyone amazed. To recreate this magic, I prepare my ingredients and dressing in the same way: using fresh eggs, garlic, anchovies, dijon mustard, lemon or lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

As I assemble the salad, I sprinkle the croutons over the top, followed by a generous dollop of Caesar dressing. The combination of crispy bread, tangy dressing, and fresh vegetables is nothing short of magic. It's no wonder this classic salad has remained a staple in many restaurants around the world.

The Finishing Touches

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To complete our Caesar salad, I add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. The salty, nutty flavor of the cheese balances out the tanginess of the dressing, while the salt enhances the overall flavor profile.

And there you have it – a truly exceptional Caesar salad, made with love and care from scratch. With great croutons and dressing, this classic dish is sure to impress even the most discerning palates. So go ahead, give it a try, and experience the magic of a perfectly crafted Caesar salad for yourself!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwe're going to make caesar salad and when you have really great caesar salad what do you got to have exactly great croutons and great croutons a lot of people like to use day old bread which i think is fine but i don't have time to wait around for the bread so what i'm going to do is just cut some rough crostini style bread i've got the oven fired up of course knock that out looks like about enough i should have to check this one when i go to the store i have to get two loaves of bread one that i eat as i peruse the store and the other that i actually come home and cook with okay quick simple easy i think if you're going to have croutons if you're going to eat them i'm going to do it don't do them out of a box well that little bit of olive oil each one of them get it with a little s and p we get a little bit of thyme in there a little parmesan cheese okay we're going to let these just go and dry out it's going to complement the caesar salad we are caesar salad fans around here a little dust of some parmesan but i only want caesar dressing i've really got to make the dressing now different people some people like to emulsify well i'll show you a little bit but you're going to see make them especially with those fresh eggs those golden yolks nuts all right this just peel up just sprinkle on a little bit of time the stem comes off with it that's fine that means it's tender enough that's it okay a little bit of time on that in the oven over to the side don't want it to brown up too much let it come out let it cool down turn out nice and dry okay so in with some garlic a little bit of anchovy this is the key right here with the two forks we'll just go one nice big anchovy depends on the size okay uh a little bit of dijon mustard a little more so you can see that so the yolks the garlic the anchovy worcestershire just a touch a little bit of the lemon or lime go so now wanting to break up that anchovy i'm raking the anchovy over the other fork and this one here i'll make it easier so you can see this see this so what i've got is i've got this anchovy sitting in here and i'm raking that over the top of the other fork just really helping that anchovy break down if you have anchovy paste that's fantastic okay we break that down there we go now this is not a super emulsified dressing we could do this with a food processor it would be really nice and tight but when i was the bomb bait captain at the red lion motor in eureka this is how we did it table side and for a little more flavor a little extra virgin olive oil as well okay we're in good shape with that we'll just let this get a little salt pepper to it and then we'll just let this kind of sit here and hang out and let all the flavors come together refrigerating it's a great idea but we're going to use it so quick hunter go ahead and hit some croutons on that and we made some caesar dressing ryder got the eggs jules and hunter made the sandwiches but look at this beautiful caesar dressing with those golden yolks out of my chicken ranch i have a chicken rancher as you can tell okay you good with that good a little bit more one more all right here we'll just spoon on let me scoot in here son so we kind of do a rough cut on the romaine we've got worcestershire garlic anchovies hunter there's some parmesan cheese right there grab that it's going to be kind of a appetizer hand salad youwe're going to make caesar salad and when you have really great caesar salad what do you got to have exactly great croutons and great croutons a lot of people like to use day old bread which i think is fine but i don't have time to wait around for the bread so what i'm going to do is just cut some rough crostini style bread i've got the oven fired up of course knock that out looks like about enough i should have to check this one when i go to the store i have to get two loaves of bread one that i eat as i peruse the store and the other that i actually come home and cook with okay quick simple easy i think if you're going to have croutons if you're going to eat them i'm going to do it don't do them out of a box well that little bit of olive oil each one of them get it with a little s and p we get a little bit of thyme in there a little parmesan cheese okay we're going to let these just go and dry out it's going to complement the caesar salad we are caesar salad fans around here a little dust of some parmesan but i only want caesar dressing i've really got to make the dressing now different people some people like to emulsify well i'll show you a little bit but you're going to see make them especially with those fresh eggs those golden yolks nuts all right this just peel up just sprinkle on a little bit of time the stem comes off with it that's fine that means it's tender enough that's it okay a little bit of time on that in the oven over to the side don't want it to brown up too much let it come out let it cool down turn out nice and dry okay so in with some garlic a little bit of anchovy this is the key right here with the two forks we'll just go one nice big anchovy depends on the size okay uh a little bit of dijon mustard a little more so you can see that so the yolks the garlic the anchovy worcestershire just a touch a little bit of the lemon or lime go so now wanting to break up that anchovy i'm raking the anchovy over the other fork and this one here i'll make it easier so you can see this see this so what i've got is i've got this anchovy sitting in here and i'm raking that over the top of the other fork just really helping that anchovy break down if you have anchovy paste that's fantastic okay we break that down there we go now this is not a super emulsified dressing we could do this with a food processor it would be really nice and tight but when i was the bomb bait captain at the red lion motor in eureka this is how we did it table side and for a little more flavor a little extra virgin olive oil as well okay we're in good shape with that we'll just let this get a little salt pepper to it and then we'll just let this kind of sit here and hang out and let all the flavors come together refrigerating it's a great idea but we're going to use it so quick hunter go ahead and hit some croutons on that and we made some caesar dressing ryder got the eggs jules and hunter made the sandwiches but look at this beautiful caesar dressing with those golden yolks out of my chicken ranch i have a chicken rancher as you can tell okay you good with that good a little bit more one more all right here we'll just spoon on let me scoot in here son so we kind of do a rough cut on the romaine we've got worcestershire garlic anchovies hunter there's some parmesan cheese right there grab that it's going to be kind of a appetizer hand salad you\n"