This modern Caesar Salad combines a zesty dressing with creamy avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes, and garam masala-flavored grilled chicken.

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Modern Caesar Salad

This modern Caesar Salad combines a zesty dressing with creamy avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes, and garam masala-flavored grilled chicken.

Prep Time:25 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings as main course, 4 servings as appetizer

Author Marie Asselin, FoodNouveau.com

Ingredients

US Customary / Metric

For the Caesar dressing

• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 2 anchovy fillets packed in oil
• ¼ tsp kosher salt, or fine sea salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp water

For the salad

• 2 hearts of romaine, about 8 oz (225 g) total
• 10 cherry tomatoes + 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1 oz bacon or pancetta
• 3 slices stale whole wheat crusty bread, or white crusty bread + 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 8 oz boneless chicken breast 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, salt, and pepper
• 1/4 tsp garam masala spice blend
• 1 ripe avocado
• Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

To make the Caesar dressing:

• In a mini food processor (or a blender), blend the garlic clove, the anchovy fillets, and the sea salt together to make a paste. Add the egg yolk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice and pulse to mix everything together. Add the olive oil 2 tbsp (30 ml) at a time, blending at high speed between each addition to make sure the dressing emulsifies. Finish by adding the water and season to taste with pepper and just a little pinch of salt (keeping in mind the salad also contains seasoned chicken, bacon, and Parmigiano-Reggiano). Transfer dressing to a screw-top jar and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

To prepare the salad components: 

• Preheat oven to 450°F (230ºC).
• Trim the hearts of romaine, then cut the leaves into 1-inch thick (2.5-cm) slices. Wash the lettuce thoroughly, then spin dry. Set aside in a large bowl.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, mix the cherry tomatoes with 1 tsp (5 ml) olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to make sure the tomatoes are well coated, then put the tomatoes on one side of the baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch one another. Don’t put it in the oven yet.
• Cut the bread into bite-size cubes (remove the crust if you wish) and the bacon (or pancetta) into tiny bites. In the same bowl, you used to mix the tomatoes, mix the bread cubes, bacon, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, and some freshly ground black pepper. Toss everything together then spread the bread/bacon mixture on the other side of the prepared baking sheet, making sure bread cubes are all set in one layer.
• Roast tomatoes and bread cubes until the tomato skins burst open, the bread cubes are golden all over, and the bacon bits are browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. During the roasting process, stir the bread cubes every 2 minutes but leave the tomatoes alone. If the tomatoes are ready before the bread cubes, take them off the baking sheet and continue roasting the bread cubes until they are crunchy but not hard. Reserve both components until ready to serve.

To cook the chicken:

• Cut the chicken breast into long thin slices. In a medium bowl (still the same bowl!), mix the chicken with 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, garam masala powder, freshly ground black pepper, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat, then add the chicken. Let the chicken sit and gain some color before moving it around. Once the chicken pieces have a nice golden-brown color you can flip them over (about 3 minutes). Remove from the pan as soon as the other side looks similar (about 3 minutes again). Cut into bite-size pieces while hot, then put back into the warm pan (off the heat!) until ready to serve.

To assemble the modern Caesar salad

• Do this right before serving - this salad doesn’t like to wait!

  Cut the avocado into cubes (you must do this last, so it doesn’t brown prematurely). Mix the romaine leaves with some of the dressing (to taste), then add the chicken bites, the bacon croutons, and avocado. Carefully toss everything together, then separate in 2 or 4 bowls. Distribute the roasted cherry tomatoes and parmigiano-reggiano shavings. Serve with more dressing on the side. Enjoy!
• Recipe Credit: Adapted from Nicole Stich, Delicious Days.

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