This caesar dressing recipe will rival any out there. Guaranteed. It comes from a restaurant that both of our founding chefs worked at in Seattle, called Café Lago, but we have been using it for 8 years now so are happy at this point to call it our own. It is the perfect balance of tangy and rich.
At Lowell’s we use the hearts of escarole for our greens, as we love the crunch & mild bitterness of the leafy green to balance the richness of the dressing. Hearts of romaine or fresh young kale greens work just as well. If you happen to find some nice looking escarole make sure it has a decent proportion of blanched heart on it. Shave off the darker green ends and save for a sauté.
We recommend buying a rustic country loaf for the croutons. Tear by hand into bite sized chunks. Toss with Olive Oil and salt at bake at 350 till golden brown. If you bake off more than you can use toss in blender for breadcrumbs (which are delicious sprinkled on pastas and much more).
2 med. garlic cloves
1/2 Tbl. anchovy paste
2 tsp. dijon
4 dashes tabasco
1 lemon (juiced)
1 1/3 oz. worcestershire
2 oz. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/3 C. grated parmigiano- reggiano
1 1/3 C. canola oil
For the salad dressing, add all ingredients minus the oil to a food processor. If you don’t have one a blender will work just fine. Add the oil in very slowly. Toss with escarole hearts, croutons, and finish with a sprinkle of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese & fresh cracked pepper. Mangia!
