Caesar Salad as a Main Course	recipe

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This recipe is by Sam Gugino from Cooking to Beat the Clock.

Caesar Cardini, the inventor of the Caesar salad, is probably spinning in his grave at the thought of what we’ve done to his original. But adding meat and seafood has turned Caesar salads into meals instead of first courses, perfect for life in the fast lane. For this salad I use rock shrimp, tasty morsels with a crayfish-like flavor, usually sold already shelled. But more traditional shrimp are an adequate substitute.

Ingredients

7 tablespoons olive oil
Six 1/2 inch thick French baguette slices or three 1/2 inch thick slices larger Italian bread
1 head romaine lettuce, about 1 1/4 pounds
1 clove garlic
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound shelled raw rock shrimp or other small shelled raw shrimp

• Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Cut the bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the bread to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, tossing periodically until just crisp. Reduce the heat if needed to prevent burning.

• Meanwhile, cut 1/2-inch from the top and bottom of the romaine and cut the head crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips. Put the strips in a salad spinner and fill with water. Drain and spin dry. Wrap in paper towels to remove excess moisture.

• While you’re spinning the salad, peel the garlic. Drop the garlic and anchovies down the chute of a food processor with the motor running. Puree while you juice the lemon half. Stop the motor and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the mustard, egg yolk, Worcestershire, Tabasco, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. With the motor running, gradually add 4 tablespoons of the remaining oil through the chute until the dressing is combined.

• Put the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large heavy skillet over high heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing a few times to cook evenly, just until the shrimp firm up and the color changes.

• While the shrimp cook, put the romaine in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing and toss well. Add the croutons and toss. Put the salad on individual plates and spread the cooked shrimp evenly on top.

Serves 4

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