Chicken Caesar Salad

Every restaurant does this classic American salad a little bit differently and I imagine the homemade versions vary just as much.  This is my first attempt at the recipe and it came out really well! 

serves 2

• day old bread
• butter
• about 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenders
• about 2 lemons
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp warm water
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (make sure it’s a flavor you love and not just an oil you cook with)
• 6 anchovy fillets
• 2 large garlic cloves
• salt & pepper
• 1-2 hearts of romaine
• grated parmesan

Marinate the chicken with 1/2 of a lemon, salt, and freshly cracked peppercorns.  Heavy on the pepper. 

Time to make the dressing. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the tsp of water. Whisk in the olive oil drop by drop until it thickens.  Then whisk in the rest of the oil as a steady stream and the dressing should be thick.  Crush or mince the anchovies, one garlic clove and a large pinch of salt into a paste. Whisk the paste into the dressing and then add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Add freshly crushed pepper at the end.

Croutons! Tear the bread into bite sized pieces and rub the second garlic clove on the bread.  Heat an appropriate amount of butter in a pan and add the bread bits.  Toss to coat the bread and brown them. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same hot pan fry the chicken.  If they are thin they shouldn’t take very long at all.

Tear the lettuce and add chicken, croutons, grated parm and drizzle the dressing. Wonderful!