Equipment
Ingredients
Fried Shallots & Oil
- 100 g shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 120 ml neutral oil
Croutons
- 150 g sourdough bread, torn or cut into bite-sized cubes
- 30 ml olive oil
Shallot Aioli Dressing
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 garlic, peeled
- 4 anchovy fillets, oil-packed
- 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 g dijon mustard
- 5 ml worcestershire sauce
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Salad Base
- 3 romaine hearts, washed and dried thoroughly
- 70 g parmigiano-reggiano, 50g finely grated, 20g shaved for garnish
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 438 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 27 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 678 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 19 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 111 mg
- Potassium
- 345 mg
- Calcium
- 267 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 208 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 398 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 9 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 92 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.11 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.18 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 127 mcg
- Water
- 115 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the thinly sliced shallots and neutral oil in a cold medium skillet. Place over medium-low heat and fry gently, stirring frequently, until the shallots turn deeply golden and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried shallots to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour the infused oil into a heat-proof measuring cup and set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Toss the sourdough cubes with 30ml of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy.
Using a chef knife, finely mince the garlic cloves and anchovy fillets. Sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and use the flat side of the knife to scrape and drag the mixture against the cutting board until it forms a smooth paste.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and the garlic-anchovy paste. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes pale and homogenous.
Place a damp towel under your bowl to stabilize it. While whisking continuously and rapidly, slowly drizzle in the cooled shallot oil drop by drop. Once the emulsion stabilizes, pour in the remaining shallot oil and the 60ml of extra virgin olive oil in a slow, steady stream until a thick, glossy dressing forms.
Fold 50g of the finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly cracked black pepper, and half of the reserved crispy fried shallots into the dressing.
Tear or roughly chop the washed romaine hearts into bite-sized pieces. Add the lettuce to the bowl with the dressing and mix thoroughly using tongs or clean hands, massaging the dressing gently into the leaves.
Transfer the dressed salad to a large serving platter or individual bowls. Garnish evenly with the sourdough croutons, the remaining crispy fried shallots, and the 20g of shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Frying the shallots slowly extracts their sweet, allium flavor into the oil, which then becomes the perfect aromatic base for the aioli emulsion.
- Ensure the shallot oil is completely cooled before emulsifying the egg yolks, otherwise the residual heat will scramble the yolks and the dressing will instantly split.
- Tear the romaine leaves rather than chopping them with a knife. Tearing follows the natural fault lines of the leaf, preventing the edges from oxidizing and browning, while creating irregular nooks for the thick dressing to cling to.
- If raw egg yolks are a safety concern, substitute the yolks and oil base with 150g of high-quality commercial mayonnaise, and simply fold in the cooled shallot oil, crispy shallots, and remaining flavorings.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Dressing can be stored for 3 days. Undressed washed lettuce keeps for 5 days. Dressed salad does not keep.
Troubleshooting
Aioli splits or breaks, looking thin and greasy instead of creamy
Cause: The infused shallot oil was added too quickly, or the oil was still warm when added to the egg yolks
Fix: Whisk one fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of water in a new, clean bowl. Slowly whisk the broken dressing into the new egg yolk mixture a few drops at a time to re-emulsify
Prevention: Ensure the shallot oil is completely cooled to room temperature before starting, and add it drop-by-drop initially to establish a strong emulsion
Shallots taste bitter or burnt
Cause: Shallots were fried at too high a temperature or left in the oil too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Discard the burnt shallots and oil, and start the frying process over
Prevention: Start shallots in cold oil over medium-low heat, and remove them from the pan just before they reach your desired color, as carryover cooking will darken them further
Dressing is too thick and difficult to toss with the greens
Cause: The emulsion is extremely tight, or the egg yolks were very large
Fix: Whisk in warm water, one teaspoon at a time, until the dressing reaches a pourable consistency
Prevention: Ensure standard ingredient ratios are maintained
Cultural Context
The Caesar salad was famously invented in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924 by Italian-American restaurateur Caesar Cardini. This variation pays homage to the original dramatic, tableside emulsion technique while incorporating a staple method from Southeast Asian and French cuisines: using crispy fried alliums and their deeply infused oils to build a foundational, layered flavor profile.
