Oretta's Caesar Salad

35 mins Prep Time

15 mins Cook Time

Written By

Robin Winship

Try this homemade Caesar salad recipe from buzzy Italian hotspot Oretta. Comprised of homemade focaccia croutons, crisp romaine wedges and a creamy anchovy caesar dressing, this salad is the perfect accoutrement to a rich pasta or a chewy pizza.

Ingredients

Assembly

1 head of romaine, cut into wedges
4 pieces, white marinated anchovies
2 tbsp, bread crumbs
2 tbsp pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch batons
3 tbsp Caesar dressing
1 tbsp shaved padano

Caesar Dressing

500 ml mayonnaise
15g capers
25g garlic, grated on a microplane
10g brown anchovies
4g Worcestershire
50g Grana Padano, grated
25g lemon juice
4g ground black pepper

Crouton Crumble

1 litre container of focaccia (1 inch cubes)
50g Grana Padano, grated
10g garlic, grated on a microplane
75ml olive oil
Salt, to taste

Directions

Crouton Crumble

5 Steps

Step 1

Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl.
Step 2

Transfer to a sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
Step 3

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes (mixing well every 5 minutes) until golden brown and no longer soft in the centre. It is very important they're cooked through or else when you go to blitz them they will not crumble.
Step 4

Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool completely.
Step 5

Blitz in a food processor in batches, achieving a coarse breadcrumb consistency.

Caesar Dressing

2 Steps

Step 1

In a blender, finely blitz the capers, anchovy, garlic and all liquids.
Step 2

Transfer all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine evenly. Season with salt to taste.

Assembly

4 Steps

Step 1

Before you begin, in a frying pan over medium heat, gently render the pancetta until it is golden brown and crispy.
Step 2

Cut romaine into 4 equal pieces lengthwise to create 4 wedges.
Step 3

Generously dress the wedges with Caesar dressing.
Step 4

Garnish the salad with breadcrumbs, pancetta, anchovies and the shaved Grana Padano.