Caesar Salad Recipe

Classic Caesar salad plated in a wide shallow white bowl, whole romaine leaves rather than chopped, shaved Parmesan curls

4.89 from 9 votes

A NYC chef's Caesar built on coddled egg, anchovy paste, capers, and Dijon — whisked into a proper emulsion and served over romaine with garlic baguette croutons and freshly grated Parmesan.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: caesar salad

Servings: servings

Calories: 681kcal

Ingredients

For the Croutons

2 cloves garlic large
1 pinch salt
3 tablespoons olive oil virgin
2 cups French baguette slices cut up into ½ inch cubes, white bread works too

For the Salad

1 large egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic crushed
1 pinch salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1½ teaspoons anchovy paste or 4 flat anchovies
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
⅓ cup olive oil virgin
2 heads romaine lettuce outer leaves removed
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Croutons

Infuse the oil with garlic.
Crush 2 large garlic cloves and combine them in a bowl with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Let this sit for 5–10 minutes if you have time — the oil picks up garlic flavor fast, and you want it distributed through every crouton, not just sitting on the surface.
Cut and coat the bread.
Cut your baguette into ½-inch cubes — about 2 cups worth. Add them to the garlic oil and toss until every cube is coated evenly.
Don't rush this; uncoated spots will taste dry and bland.
Bake until golden.
Spread the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet — no crowding or they'll steam instead of crisp. Bake at 375°F for about 10–12 minutes, checking at the 8-minute mark.
You're looking for an even golden color all the way around. Pull them before they look done — they continue to harden as they cool. Set aside and let cool completely before adding to the salad.

For the Dressing & Salad

Coddle the egg.
Bring a small pot of water to a full boil. Lower a whole egg gently into the water and cook for exactly 60 seconds — set a timer.
Remove immediately and run under cold water for 30 seconds to stop the cooking. The white will be barely set; the yolk will still be completely fluid. Set aside.
Build the dressing base.
In a medium bowl, combine: 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (not from a bottle — the flavor difference is real), 1 crushed garlic clove, a pinch of salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1½ teaspoons anchovy paste, 1 teaspoon capers, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Whisk these together until combined. The mustard is doing double duty here — flavor and emulsification.
Add the coddled egg.
Crack the coddled egg directly into the dressing base and whisk until smooth.
The yolk and the partially set white will integrate into the dressing, adding body and richness. This is what gives the final dressing its creamy consistency.
Emulsify with the oil.
This is the step that makes or breaks the dressing. With one hand whisking constantly, pour ⅓ cup of olive oil into the bowl in a slow, thin, steady stream — almost a drizzle at first.
You're asking the egg and mustard to grab onto the oil droplets one by one and hold them in suspension.
Add the oil too fast and the dressing will separate into a greasy puddle. Keep whisking until the dressing is smooth, cohesive, and coats the back of a spoon.
Taste now and adjust — more lemon for brightness, more salt if it tastes flat, a pinch of pepper if you want more bite.
Prep and dress the romaine.
Remove the outer leaves from 2 heads of romaine and discard. Tear the remaining leaves into 1–2 inch pieces and place in a large bowl — wooden if you have one.
Add half the dressing and toss well, making sure every leaf gets coated.
Add the remaining dressing and toss again.
Taste a leaf — it should taste fully seasoned, not like it needs salt added at the table
Finish and serve.
Add ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan and the cooled croutons. Give it one final toss — just enough to distribute without crushing the croutons.
Serve immediately on chilled plates. The salad will start wilting within a few minutes; don't let it sit.

Notes

Nutritional information is automatically calculated using the WP Recipe Maker nutrition database and should be considered only an estimate. Actual values may vary depending on ingredient brands, product variations, substitutions, and portion sizes.

Nutrition