By Melissa Clark, The New York Times
The allure of a Caesar salad lies in its dressing — the sting of raw garlic, the salty umami of Parmesan, that anchovy funk. What you toss it with is less important. As long as itap sturdy enough to bring that dressing to your mouth, any green will work just fine.
Mild and crisp romaine has been the classic since the 1920s, when the salad was first put on the menu at Caesar’s restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. Kale Caesars and Brussels sprouts Caesars had their moments, those ruffled leaves adding an earthy, mineral tang. But I think cabbage works best of all.
Of all the greens, cabbage is the sweetest and crunchiest, with a pronounced contrast to the dressing thatap both satisfyingly textural and a little unexpected. Cabbage makes the whole salad livelier to eat.
It also keeps well. Unlike romaine, which starts to wilt the moment it meets the dressing, cabbage stands its ground. I made this salad one evening for dinner, then stuck the leftovers in the fridge. The next day, it was just as good — the flavors more integrated, the cabbage, though softer, still gratifying in a coleslaw kind of way.
If you do make this salad ahead, though, don’t add the croutons until serving. You want those to stay as crunchy as possible.
To further increase the crunch, I tear the bread rather than cut it. Torn bread has ragged, uneven edges that get extra crisp as they toast. Tossing the pieces with olive oil and a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan also helps the cause. As the croutons bake, the cheese melts into brittle, lacy patches along the edges. Use a spatula to scrape them up and fold them into the salad. Those fricolike bits are arguably the best part.
As for the anchovies, to me they are nonnegotiable in a Caesar salad. But sticklers will tell you that they’re not actually traditional. The original recipe gained its saline bite from Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies). Itap unclear when the salted fish made their way into the bowl, but now their presence has been firmly established. That said, if you want to skip them, use capers instead. Or olives, or even feta, all of which will add the necessary brininess.
You see, at its heart, Caesar salad is very adaptable. Thatap one reason itap been around for the past century — and it bodes well for the next.
Recipe: Cabbage Caesar Salad
Substituting juicy, crunchy shredded cabbage for the usual romaine adds texture and sweetness to Caesar salad. You can even make it a few hours in advance (store it in the fridge until serving). The cabbage does get a bit softer as it sits, but a rest lets the flavors meld. Tearing the bread into croutons gives more texture to the dish because of the ragged edges, which turn nice and crisp in the oven. For a vegetarian version, substitute capers for anchovies and use vegan Worcestershire sauce or coconut amino acids.
By Melissa Clark
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small baguette or chunk of sourdough bread (about 8 ounces), preferably day-old, torn or cut into bite-size pieces (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided, more for garnish
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 4 anchovy fillets (or 1 teaspoon drained capers)
- 1 fat garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 8 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix (24 ounces)
Preparation
1. Make the croutons: Heat oven to 400 degrees. On a rimmed sheet pan, toss bread pieces with 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons cheese to coat evenly. Spread in an even layer, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake until crunchy and evenly browned, 10 to 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Taste a crouton and add more salt if needed. Use a spatula to scrape up any crunchy cheese stuck to the pan and stir into the warm croutons. Let croutons cool on the baking pan.
2. Meanwhile, make the dressing: In a blender or using an immersion blender, combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and a pinch each salt and pepper, and pulse a few times to break up the anchovies.
3. Add the mayonnaise and the remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil, and blend until smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt and pepper as needed.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, croutons, remaining 5 tablespoons cheese and enough of the dressing to coat the cabbage. Toss well, adding more dressing as needed. Top with more cheese and pepper, and serve.
This article originally appeared in .
