Caesar Salad

Ingredients

• Romaine Lettuce
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Croutons
• Caesar Salad Dressing

Method

The success of this salad depends entirely on the lettuce. Tear the outer leaves from a whole romaine head and discard any bruised or yellowed outer layers — these taste bitter and have no place here. Rinse the remaining leaves under cold running water, then spin them dry in a salad spinner or pat them thoroughly with a clean cloth. Wet lettuce dilutes the dressing and turns the leaves slippery; you need them dry enough that the emulsion can cling properly. If you're prepping ahead, wrap the dried leaves in paper towels and refrigerate for up to two hours — this also firms them up slightly, making them less prone to wilting.

Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces rather than cutting it with a knife, which bruises the cell walls and causes discoloration. Place the pieces in a large bowl and dress them lightly — the common mistake is overdressing. Add the Caesar dressing in two stages: coat the leaves first with about two-thirds of what you'd use, toss thoroughly to distribute it evenly, then taste and add more if needed. This assembled-dishes approach means you control the final consistency rather than ending up with a sodden heap. The dressing should coat each leaf without pooling at the bottom.

Toast your croutons just before serving — stale croutons are worthless. Tear or cube day-old bread (white or sourdough both work), toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt, then bake at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until they're golden and crisp all the way through. They'll harden further as they cool. Add them to the salad only once you're ready to serve; warm croutons soften on contact with the dressing and lose their structural integrity within minutes.

Finish with freshly grated Parmesan — not pre-grated, which is coated in anti-caking agents and tastes waxy. Grate directly over the leaves at the table for maximum impact. The cold-dishes format here is unforgiving: every component must be at its best the moment it reaches the plate. No sitting about. Toss one final time, plate immediately, and eat.