Equipment
Ingredients
Croutons
- 150 g sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 g salt
Dressing
- 4 anchovy fillets, finely minced
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 egg yolk
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g dijon mustard
- 5 ml worcestershire sauce
- 60 ml neutral oil
- 30 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salad Base & Garnish
- 300 g radicchio, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 20 g parmesan cheese, shaved
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 386 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 24 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 391 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 57 mg
- Potassium
- 308 mg
- Calcium
- 185 mg
- Iron
- 1.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 18 mg
- Phosphorus
- 143 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 44 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 197 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.10 mg
- Niacin
- 0.7 mg
- Folate
- 53 mcg
- Water
- 83 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Toss torn sourdough bread with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet.
Bake croutons until golden brown and crisp, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
On a cutting board, mash the minced anchovies and grated garlic into a fine paste using the side of a knife.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the anchovy-garlic paste, egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
Slowly drizzle in the neutral oil while whisking constantly and vigorously to create a thick, creamy emulsion. Stir in the finely grated Parmesan.
Add the radicchio leaves to the bowl with the dressing. Toss gently but thoroughly until every leaf is coated.
Plate the salad, topping with the cooled croutons, shaved Parmesan, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.
Chef's Notes
- Radicchio is significantly more bitter than romaine. To temper the bitterness, you can soak the torn leaves in ice water for 15-20 minutes before drying thoroughly.
- For the croutons, tearing the bread instead of cutting it creates rough edges that catch more dressing and texture.
- Use a vegetable peeler on a block of Parmesan to create wide, attractive shavings for the final garnish.
- If you are concerned about raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs or coddle the egg in boiling water for 1 minute before using.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Dressing keeps for 3 days; assembled salad must be eaten immediately.
Troubleshooting
Dressing is too thin or separates
Cause: Oil was added too quickly
Fix: Start with a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisk the broken dressing into it
Prevention: Add oil drop by drop initially, then in a very slow stream while whisking rapidly
Cultural Context
While the original Caesar salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico, by Cesare Cardini using romaine lettuce, this variation embraces the Italian love for bitter greens. The substitution of radicchio transforms the dish from a mild, refreshing side into a bold, winter-appropriate salad that stands up to rich proteins.
