I may not be the biggest fan of lettuces ( I call them leaves) as very few have actual taste. They are incredibly mass-produced all year around and lost all flavour. When I started getting the farmers veg bag from restaurant HumusXHortense and their framer Monde des Mille Couleurs 6 weeks ago, for the first time in a looooong time, I started to enjoy the leaves again. I do love the dressings more 🙂
A few weeks back there was this gorgeous fresh romain salad and it cried out to be adored by Caesar. I didn’t have all the ingredients in the kitchen to make a classic version. I substituted the mayonaise or raw egg yolk for fresh sour cream. I didn’t have some of the condiments but I did have spicy Tierenteyn mustard from Ghent, horseradish paste, lemon and anchovies.
I had no parmesan cheese at home but I did have some gruyere.
CAESAR SALAD – claimed to have been served for the first time in 1920ties in the Restaurant Cardini in San Diego; this was tossed together by the owner as food had run out. Today it has many interpretations and is sometimes served with grilled chicken on the side. Traditionally it had no anchovies. but a lot of garlic in it.
I made this herb Focaccia ( see recipe HERE) a few days before and used some left over as croutons.
STEP 1: Make the dressing: mash the anchovies, horseradish, mustard, olive oil and salt in a mortar and pestle, add the sour cream and lemon juice. Taste to check theseasoning and adjust if needed.
STEP 2: Toss the romain lettuce and croutons with the cheese shavings and serve with a generous helping of the dressing.
My version of a Caesar Salad
Yield 4 portions
Ingredients
- 1 romain lettuce, chopped coarsely
- leftover focaccia bread, chopped in chunks about 2 cm
- Gruyere cheese shavings
- 50 ml sour cream
- 1 tablespoon horseradish paste
- 1 tea spoon spicy mustard
- 3 - 4 anchovies
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 table spoon olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Mash the anchovies, horseradish paste, mustard, salt and olive oil in a mortar and pestle, then add the sour cream and lemon juice. Taste to check the seasoning and adjust with what is needed.
- Toss the romain lettuce, focaccia and cheese savings and serve with a generous helping of the dressing.
Notes
on www.leeksandhighheels.com by Sandra Slawinski
Written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial deals. I used my Le Creuset mortar and pestle ( that I discovered tis week was broken, not by me), vintage glass juicer, plates from Dille & Kamille, and no idea where the bowls are from, had them for ages.
