French César Recipe
endive, house caesar, boqerones, sourdough, grana
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Ingredients
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Salad
House Caesar dressing
Sourdough croûtons
Garnish & finishing
Method
Sourdough croûtons
- 1
Prep and toast
Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Toss the sourdough cubes with 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon melted butter, smashed garlic half-clove (discard after infusing) and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 8–12 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp. Remove, discard the garlic piece, and cool on a rack.
House Caesar dressing
- 2
Emulsify dressing
In a bowl or small blender combine 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons anchovy fillets (or paste), 1 finely grated garlic clove, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Pulse or whisk to combine. With the whisk running, slowly stream in 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing is smooth and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning or brightness with more lemon or salt as needed.
Salad assembly
- 3
Prepare endive
Trim base of each Belgian endive, remove any damaged outer leaves, then separate leaves into whole or halved lengthwise pieces depending on presentation. If using romaine heart, core and chop into 2–3 cm pieces and rinse thoroughly; spin or pat dry.
- 4
Dress the greens
Place endive (and romaine if using) in a large bowl or on a serving platter. Add about 3–4 tablespoons of the house Caesar dressing and toss gently to coat—add more dressing sparingly, you want the endive slightly coated, not saturated.
- 5
Add boquerones and croûtons
Arrange the drained boquerones over the dressed endive. Scatter the toasted sourdough croûtons evenly.
- 6
Finish and serve
Finish with 40 g finely shaved Grana Padano, an additional 10 g of larger Grana shavings for visual appeal, a light drizzle (about 1 teaspoon) of extra virgin olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately so croûtons remain crisp.