Caesar salad with hot smoked salmon
My first introduction to a Caesar salad was during my college days in California. The salad originated in Tijuana, Mexico, made its way to the United States and then conquered the entire world. The recipe evolved and each chef interpreted it in his or her own way. How do you prepare an original Caesar salad and how do you make the signature sauce? Let me tell you the whole story and share the Spice & Ginger recipe of Caesar salad with hot smoked salmon with you.
The origins of Caesar salad
Chef Cesare Cardini, an Italian immigrant who came to California, had a restaurant in San Diego and also one just across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. On July 4, 1924, he whipped up a salad for his guests with 7 simple ingredients he had on-hand. The combination of the different flavors was spot on, and the salad became a success.
The 7 ingredients
Chef Cardini keeps it simple and uses ingredients from his childhood in his beloved Italy. He starts with an egg yolk that will bind the sauce. He adds lime juice for acidity and olive oil for the emulsion. The umami flavor comes from a dash of Worcestershire sauce. He distributes the sauce over crisp lettuce leaves and finishes the dish the Italian way: with Parmesan cheese. Finally, he serves a toasted piece of baguette with it. The Caesar salad is born!
Adding garlic, anchovies, mustard, tabasco, chicken and bread crusts are interpretations by other chefs who take the dish a step further. You can find ready-made Caesar sauce in the supermarket, but it hardly resembles the original taste. Let me show you how to prepare a Caesar salad from scratch.
Caesar salad with warm smoked salmon
A Caesar salad can be eaten by itself, but often chicken or roasted shrimp added, to form a full meal. In Scotland, I ate it with hot smoked salmon. It is a wonderful combo, and I created my own version of it for the blog.
Recipe
This recipe makes a full meal for 2 people. If you don't like anchovies, you can omit them. Add a few extra drops of Worcestershire sauce for more umami. It is helpful to have a blender and a mandolin for preparation.
Ingredients for the dressing
- 1 clove of garlic
- 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 75 ml olive oil
- 75 ml vegetable oil
- A few drops Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients for the salad
- 4 little gems or 1 young romaine lettuce
- ½ red onion
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 30 g shaved Parmesan cheese
- 150 g hot smoked salmon
- Some sprigs of dill
- Croutons
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Step 1: prepare the Caesar dressing
Crush the garlic and anchovy fillets into a puree and add to a mixing bowl along with the egg yolk and mustard. Add the lemon juice and oil slowly and whisk to form an emulsion with a whisk or blender. Season to taste with Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper. Do not add salt if using anchovies. You will have too much sauce for the salad but you can keep the dressing in the refrigerator for several days.
![Caesar Salad Smoked Salmon]()
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Step 2: mise-en-place
Separate the leaves from the little gems or the head of romaine lettuce. If the leaves are too large, cut them smaller lengthwise. Cut the red onion into very thin slices with a mandolin. Peel the eggs and cut them into 4. Remove the skin from the salmon and separate the fish into chunks.
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Step 3: serve the salad
Mix the lettuce leaves with the red onion, half the Parmesan cheese and a few tablespoons of Caesar dressing. Arrange the lettuce in a bowl. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over it and arrange the eggs and chunks of salmon on top. Finish with sprigs of dill and croutons. Serve the rest of the sauce in a small jug alongside the Caesar salad.
![Caesar Salad Smoked Salmon 1180]()
This salad leaves room for dessert. Try my recipe for millionaire's shortbread. Now that's a treat!