Chef notes
Ever since Donna Barnett taught me home ec in high school, she has been a mentor and a close friend. She helped me fall in love with cooking and taught me that even something as classic as a Caesar salad can be reinvented — in this case, with goat cheese and roasted red peppers as a tribute to the '90s, when I had my first full-time cooking job.
Technique tip: Two keys for making crispy croutons: One, don't let the oil get too hot or the bread will char before it crisps through. Two, resist the urge to stir constantly. Letting it fry undisturbed for a minute or so will give you the golden crust you want.
Swap option: Use any rustic, crusty bread you'd like. If you don't like or have access to boquerones, top the salad with cooked chicken or shrimp. Replace the canola oil in the dressing with any other neutral oil, like vegetable or grapeseed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 anchovies
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 slices rustic Italian bread
- 1½ tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 large head romaine or 2-3 heads Little Gem lettuce
- 3 roasted red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 1/4 cup Caesar dressing (recipe above)
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 12 boquerones
Preparation
For the Caesar dressing:
Combine all the ingredients except the oils in a blender or food processor on medium speed. With the machine still running, carefully and gradually stream in the oils and blend until you have a very thick, super-smooth dressing.
For the salad:
1.Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes (you should have about 3 cups' worth) and combine the paprika, salt, coriander and cumin in a bowl that will be big enough to hold the bread.
2.Get the canola oil hot in a medium saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Test the heat by dropping in a small piece of bread; if it audibly sizzles right away but doesn't burn, it's ready.
3.Add the bread to the pan and give it a quick stir to coat it evenly with oil, then spread it in an even layer and leave it alone for a minute or so, until it builds a crust. Stir it periodically, waiting for it to crisp up and turn golden all over. Move it to the bowl with the spices and give it a good jostle to coat with seasoning while it's still hot.
4.Roughly chop or tear the lettuce. Add it to your salad bowl and toss with the peppers and dressing. Gently fold in the croutons, goat cheese and boquerones immediately before serving.
