About this recipe

A timeless, restaurant-quality Caesar salad made entirely from scratch — featuring a bold, creamy dressing built on anchovy paste, fresh garlic, lemon, and Worcestershire, tossed with crisp romaine, golden homemade croutons, and a generous snowfall of Parmesan. This approachable, well-tested recipe skips raw egg yolk anxiety by using a simple emulsification technique that's reliable every time.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![375°F]. In a large mixing bowl, toss the crusty bread cubes with the olive oil, garlic minced, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.

2. 2

   Spread the crusty bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool completely. They will crisp up further as they cool.

3. 3

   In a small mixing bowl, combine the garlic minced and anchovy paste. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a dipping fork, mash them together into a smooth paste — this is the flavor base of your dressing.

4. 4

   Add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the mixing bowl and whisk together until combined.

5. 5

   Whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth and creamy. Then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing.

6. 6

   Stir in the Parmesan cheese finely grated and black pepper freshly ground. Taste and adjust seasoning — add a pinch of kosher salt if needed (the anchovy paste and Parmesan cheese are already salty, so go easy). If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water at a time.

7. 7

   Make sure your romaine lettuce hearts is thoroughly dry — wet lettuce will dilute the dressing and make it slide off. Place the chopped romaine lettuce hearts in a large salad mixing bowl.

8. 8

   Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the romaine lettuce hearts and toss well with tongs to coat every leaf. Add more dressing to your taste — not every leaf needs to be drenched, but every bite should have flavor.

9. 9

   Add the cooled croutons and half the shaved Parmesan cheese, and toss gently one more time. Transfer to serving plates or a large platter. Top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and a generous crack of fresh black pepper. Serve immediately.