Signature Caesar Salad Recipe

Prepare eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover; let stand 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Peel, dry, and quarter each egg. Refrigerate until plating.

Prepare lettuce

Wash romaine leaves thoroughly, spin dry in a salad spinner or pat dry with towels. Tear into bite-size pieces and chill briefly (optional) to keep crisp.

Assemble salad base

In a large mixing bowl, add torn romaine and croutons. Hold off on dressing until the next step.

Dress and toss

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the prepared lemon-anchovy dressing to the bowl (reserve extra for guests to add to taste). Toss gently but thoroughly until leaves are evenly coated.

Plate and finish

Divide dressed salad among 4 plates or two large plates. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top. Arrange quartered hard-cooked eggs around the salad. Place one whole anchovy fillet on each portion for garnish. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of anchovy & olive tapenade alongside or on top of each salad portion. Grind a little fresh black pepper over each plate if desired.

Mince the garlic and anchovy fillets together with a pinch of kosher salt on a cutting board until they form a coarse paste, or mash in a bowl with the back of a spoon. In a small bowl or jar, combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar. Whisk in the anchovy-garlic paste until incorporated.

Slowly whisk in the 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a steady stream until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened. Season with the remaining kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity (add up to 1 tsp more lemon juice) or salt as needed. Keep chilled up to 3 days.

In a small food processor or by hand, combine Kalamata olives, 2 anchovy fillets, capers, lemon zest, parsley and ground black pepper. Pulse or finely chop until coarsely combined — tapenade should be slightly chunky, not a smooth paste.

Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to bind. Taste and adjust seasoning; add a little more lemon zest or a tiny pinch of salt if needed. Keep at cool room temperature for immediate service or refrigerate up to 2 days; bring to near room temperature before serving.