Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Toasted Parmesan
- 75 g parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Lime Vinaigrette
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 4 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste
- 1 garlic, minced to a paste
- 10 g dijon mustard, smooth
- 30 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 g lime zest, finely grated
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 40 ml neutral oil
- 2 g salt
Salad
- 2 romaine lettuce hearts, halved lengthwise with core intact
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 372 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Fat
- 35 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 564 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 64 mg
- Potassium
- 307 mg
- Calcium
- 273 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 191 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 493 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 115 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 1.0 mg
- Folate
- 145 mcg
- Water
- 114 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spoon the grated parmigiano-reggiano into small mounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them out slightly. Top with a pinch of black pepper. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheese melts, bubbles, and turns a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely until crisp.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolk, mashed anchovies, minced garlic, dijon mustard, lime zest, and lime juice. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated. Note that consuming raw egg poses a risk of foodborne illness; use pasteurized eggs if serving vulnerable individuals.
Combine the extra virgin olive oil and neutral oil in a small vessel. Slowly drizzle the oil mixture into the yolk base, drop by drop at first, while whisking vigorously and constantly to create a thick, creamy emulsion. Season with salt.
Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Brush the cut sides of the halved romaine hearts lightly with extra virgin olive oil.
Place the romaine halves cut-side down onto the hot grill. Cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until dark char marks form and the outer leaves begin to wilt slightly. The core should remain crisp.
Transfer the grilled romaine halves to serving plates, cut-side up. Drizzle generously with the lime vinaigrette and shatter the toasted parmesan crisps over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Leaving the core completely intact when halving the romaine is crucial; it acts as an anchor holding the delicate leaves together on the hot grill.
- Using a blend of neutral oil and extra virgin olive oil in the vinaigrette prevents the dressing from becoming overly bitter, which can happen if pure olive oil is heavily agitated or blended.
- Mashing the garlic and anchovies with a pinch of coarse salt using the flat side of your chef's knife helps break them down into a perfectly smooth paste.
- For the toasted parmesan frico, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano yields a much crisper, less greasy result than younger or pre-grated cheeses.
Storage
Troubleshooting
Vinaigrette breaks and separates into an oily liquid
Cause: Oil was added too quickly before the emulsion could stabilize
Fix: Whisk 1 teaspoon of hot water or a fresh egg yolk in a clean bowl, then slowly whisk the broken dressing into it to re-emulsify
Prevention: Add the oil literally drop by drop at the beginning, whisking constantly until a thick base forms
Parmesan crisps are bitter and dark brown
Cause: Baked too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed, discard and make a fresh batch
Prevention: Watch the oven closely after the 4-minute mark, as cheese transitions from golden to burnt very rapidly
Romaine lettuce is entirely limp and soggy
Cause: Grill was not hot enough or lettuce was left on too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the grill is blazing hot so the char forms before the heat penetrates to the core of the lettuce
Cultural Context
The Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico by an Italian immigrant, Caesar Cardini, in the 1920s. This modern elevation honors its cross-cultural origins by substituting traditional lemon with zesty lime, while the grilling technique introduces a profound smokiness that echoes both Italian wood-fired cooking and traditional Mexican charring techniques.
