All Kale Caesar Salad Recipe
Shaved parm, chili flake, charred lemon, breadcrumbs, caesar dressing
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Ingredients
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Dressing
Breadcrumbs & Garnish
Salad
Method
Dressing
- 1
Prepare base and aromatics
Place the pasteurized egg yolk, Dijon mustard, anchovy paste, minced garlic and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl. Whisk briefly until combined.
- 2
Emulsify dressing
Very slowly stream in the 120 ml (about 1/2 cup) olive oil while whisking vigorously (or use a small food processor/blender). Add the 2 tbs fresh lemon juice from the charred lemon once the emulsion is forming. Continue whisking until thick and glossy and all oil is incorporated.
- 3
Finish and season
Whisk in the 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and adjust acidity or salt: add up to 1 more teaspoon lemon juice or a pinch more salt if needed. Set dressing in fridge while you prepare the rest; whisk again briefly before using if it sits.
Breadcrumbs & Garnish
- 4
Char the lemon
Cut the lemon in half crosswise. Heat a dry heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium-high until very hot. Place lemon cut-side down in the skillet and press gently; cook 2–3 minutes until deeply browned and charred in spots. Remove and set aside to cool; you will squeeze juice from it into the dressing and for finishing.
- 5
Toast panko breadcrumbs
In the same skillet over medium heat add 2 tbs olive oil. Add 0.75 cups panko and 0.5 tsp salt. Toast, stirring frequently, 4–6 minutes until golden and crisp. In the last minute stir in 1 tsp red pepper flakes so they bloom but do not burn. Transfer toasted crumbs to a bowl and let cool — they will crisp further as they cool.
- 6
Prepare shaved Parmesan
If not pre-shaved, use a vegetable peeler to shave about 1 cup of Parmesan into ribbons. Reserve for topping and a few shavings to mix into the salad when serving.
Salad
- 7
Prepare kale
Strip stems from 8 cups torn curly kale and place leaves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle 2 tbs olive oil (for massaging) and 1/2 tsp salt over the leaves. Using clean hands, vigorously massage the leaves for 1½–2 minutes until they darken, soften and reduce in volume by about 20–30%.
- 8
Dress the kale
Add about half of the prepared dressing to the massaged kale and toss thoroughly to coat. Taste and add more dressing as needed — you want even coating but not drenched. Season with black pepper to taste.
- 9
Assemble and finish
Transfer dressed kale to a serving bowl or divide among plates. Sprinkle the toasted chili breadcrumbs evenly over the top, add the shaved Parmesan ribbons, and finish with a few extra grinds of black pepper and a light squeeze of the remaining charred lemon for brightness. If desired, drizzle a teaspoon more of dressing over each serving and scatter a pinch more red pepper flakes for heat.
