Caesar Salad and Flatbread Croutons with Chef Rachelle Boucher

In class, we added grilled lemon chicken to this delicious salad, but you can also add fish, hard boiled eggs, baked tofu, or enjoy it all on its own!

Dressing
2 medium cloves peeled garlic (approximately ½ ounce)
2 ounces drained capers, scant ½ cup
4 medium anchovies (approximately ½ an ounce)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Yields approximately 1½ cups

Croutons
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cups of ¾” cubes French or Italian bread
1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Yields 3 cups croutons

Salad
2 medium heads Romaine lettuce
¼ cup Caesar dressing
1 cup croutons (see recipe below)
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste
Serves 6-8

For the dressing:

1. Using a paring knife, cut off the tough ends of peeled garlic.

2. Place garlic, capers, anchovies, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue processing until thoroughly blended. Taste dressing and adjust salt, pepper and lemon juice as needed. Refrigerate until needed. Dressing can be made a day in advance.

For the croutons:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F or 375°F convection.

2. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. On a parchment-lined sheet pan, bake croutons for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool thoroughly before use. Store in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

For the salad:

1. Trim off the tops of the romaine lettuce and remove any loose outside leaves, using only the crisp ones for the salad. Rinse and spin dry the lettuce and then tear or cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Place about ½ cup of dressing into a large salad bowl. Add lettuce and gently toss salad. Add one cup of croutons and half of the grated parmesan cheese and toss thoroughly, adding more dressing as needed. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and add freshly grated black pepper and salt to taste.