Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Too often, uninspired versions of this dish are slapped on restaurant menus, overdressed with bland mass-produced dressing. Originally created in 1924, by an Italian immigrant at his namesake restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico, Caesar salads quickly became a hit with Hollywood trendsetters. Here, I have a lively and fresh homemade Caesar dressing that will change how you look at those that come in a bottle. Adding seasoned grilled chicken turns this into a satisfying warm weather entrée.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

6 to 8 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained

1 garlic clove

2 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

1 to 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon paprika

3 cups crusty bread, torn into 1" pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 hearts of romaine lettuce

Parmesan shavings *see notes

Fresh chives, chopped

Directions:

Chicken and croutons: In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon of salt with thyme, sage and paprika. Dry rub the chicken, set aside at room temperature for at least an hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl toss the torn bread with olive oil and season to taste with salt. Spread evenly on sheet and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until toasted golden. Let cool completely.

Dressing: Chop anchovy and garlic together with a pinch of salt. Using the side of your knife blade, mash into a paste and scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and mustard. Gradually whisk in olive oil, adding drop by drop. Then add vegetable oil, in a steady stream, whisking constantly as the dressing emulsifies and lightens in color. Keep whisking until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in grated Parmesan, lemon zest and a generous crack of black pepper. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Add more lemon juice if needed. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Salad: Heat grill to high, and oil grill grates. Grill chicken for 7 to 8 minutes with grill covered. Then flip chicken and grill another 7 to 8 minutes. Start checking temperature with meat thermometer after 15 minutes and keep moving chicken around grill to evenly cook. Chicken is done at 165 degrees. Let chicken rest for ten minutes.

While chicken is cooking wash and dry romaine, keeping leaves whole. Then while the chicken is resting assemble salad. Place romaine leaves and croutons in large mixing bowl. Add enough dressing to evenly coat all the leaves, tossing with tongs or with clean hands. Arrange salad on plates. Top each salad with shavings of Parmesan and plenty of cracked pepper.

Slice chicken into ½ inch slices across the grain and season with a pinch of salt. Arrange chicken on top of each salad. Drizzle a little dressing on top, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with chives and more black pepper.

Notes:

This recipe is best when you use a hunk of real Parmesan cheese. For the dressing finely grate the cheese to meld into the emulsion. To finish the salad, use a vegetable peeler to make the large shavings.

The anchovies add an essential burst of umami, and their flavor is perfectly balanced with the other ingredients of the dressing. Give them a try, don't be scared. Seriously. But, if you really must omit them, try using a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce, or chopped capers instead.

This dressing technically contains raw egg yolks, so you should use the freshest, best quality eggs you can get. *People with compromised immunes systems, pregnant women or infants might not want to risk eating raw egg.

Enjoy.