by Marie Viljoen
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my 14 recipes »
A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseMarie Viljoen's Notes:
Expandjuice of 1/2 a lime Ask a question about this ingredient
1 yolk from a lightly boiled egg (coddled for a minute or two in boiling water) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 Garlic cloves crushed fine Ask a question about this ingredient
3 Anchovy fillets, chopped small Ask a question about this ingredient
Black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
4 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano Ask a question about this ingredient
Salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 Romaine lettuce head, cleaned and torn into bite-sized pieces Ask a question about this ingredient
3 thick slices pancetta, cooked till crispy Ask a question about this ingredient
1 slice sourdough bread, torn into 3/4-inch chunks Ask a question about this ingredient
1 Garlic clove, peeled, kept whole Ask a question about this ingredient
In a bowl beat the lime juice into the softly boiled egg yolk.
Ask a question about this stepAdd the crushed garlic.
Ask a question about this stepAdd the finely-chopped anchovies.
Ask a question about this stepAdd black pepper.
Ask a question about this stepGradually whisk in the oil.
Ask a question about this stepAdd the Parmigiano.
Ask a question about this stepTaste. If you need salt, add it now.
Ask a question about this stepTo the bowl, add the Romaine and toss well with your hands.
Ask a question about this stepLick your fingers.
Ask a question about this stepIn the same pan in which the pancetta crisped, toast the torn-up pieces of sourdough over medium heat. When crispy, rub each piece lightly with the whole garlic clove. Toss over salad.
Ask a question about this stepAdd pieces of crispy pancetta.
Ask a question about this stepEnjoy with some cold, fruity white wine.
Ask a question about this stepI really liked your picture! I made it today with a few shortcuts (no croutons even though I'm sure they would be over the top), used minced garlic and anchovy paste. It was really good!!
Heart-broken that I have spent so many years NOT rubbing the garlic clove on the bread after toasting. I have done in every other way only because I "didn't have the time". I am just hoping I have croutons left for my dinner party tonight. I am a true convert ... next time I will have to make extra!! Thank you, thank you.
Excellent!!! This was very tasty and the pancetta was a nice addition.
You had me at pancetta! I've never coddled an egg before, so I think I will have to give that a try. Sorry, I'm not sold on rubbing garlic on each crouton - I would either cook a little garlic in with the bread cubes or I'd toss the bread cubes with a small clove (minced) after they were toasted. Both salads sound yummy, but I lean toward this one.
Lol - I understand the hesitation. A good way to cheat the garlic is to fry a slice of sourdough in pancetta drippings, then rub a clove over the slice, and then tear or cut it up. But the raw-rubbed garlic has a flavor all it's own :-) Glad to see we're sisters-in-pancetta.
Finally made this salad tonight - wow! We loved the creaminess of the dressing and the flavor added by the crispy pancetta - thanks for sharing this, Marie.
Yum. This was delicious. We just finished eating and couldn't resist mopping up the salad bowl with extra croutons to get every drop of the dressing. And I agree with A & M about rubbing the croutons with garlic--totally worth it.
So glad! I'm a great mopper, too.
This week is going to be exceptionally hard, both these recipes are fantastic!
Thank you!
Lovely as usual, Marie.
Hi, Miss Jen :-)
The lightly boiled egg is called a coddled egg. I know that this recipe is delicious because yesterday I made a Caesar Salad (for the contest) and then I added some fried pancetta for my meat eater husband. It was great...I tried a bite or two myself.
Huh! I didn't know that - I actually have coddling dishes for, well...coddling eggs, and didn't realize it applied to within-shell cooking, too. Thanks.
What do I use the coddling dishes for? Transporting things like individual lobster salads, or pate to picnics :-)
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Amanda's trusty meat pounder proves its worth, yet again.
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We had a very stubborn (and dry) lime.
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Marie Viljoen calls for the yolk of a "lightly boiled egg." We coddled ours by dunking it in boiling water for a minute.
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No more, no less.
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When you coddle, the very outside of the white cooks and becomes opaque, and the yolk is warmed through.
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Lime juice and the coddled egg yolk form the base of the dressing.
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Anchovies and garlic are crucial additions.
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Olive oil rounds out the dressing and makes it creamy.
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A little parmesan, some salt and pepper, and the dressing it ready.
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The crowning glory of this recipe: pancetta, two ways.
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First, it's crisped in a pan.
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And then the salty rendered fat is used to coat and toast rustic sourdough croutons.
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A whisper of fresh garlic elevates the croutons from great to fantastic.
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Amanda gets right in there and mixes the romaine and dressing with her hands.
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This dressing was FANTASTIC. I used lemon because its what I had, but finally, a Caesar salad dressing recipe that to me had just the perfect proportions of everything! I licked it off of a spoon! And the pancetta was a fantastic addition...