Thursday, September 18, 2008

What We're Eating: Grilled Salad


This is one of my favorite salads of all time: Grilled Caesar Salad. Grilling romaine lettuce gives it an amazing flavor. Lots of garlic, shaved parmesan and tons of fresh lemon juice make it stand out. I like to serve it when friends come over because the taste is so unexpected. Of course, it must be cooked on the spot and served immediately so I only pair it with a main dish that either goes in the oven or simmers on the stove so I'm don't have to cook anything else while guests are here.

I basically slice a head of romaine down the center, paint it with olive oil and chopped garlic and then let it sear on my grill pan or saute pan until it starts to turn black. Then I flip it over. I've tried to cut it up first and that works ok too. I just toss it in the pan a little. When it's getting black all over I transfer to a plate, cut it up and add salt, pepper, shaved parmesan and lots of lemon juice-- maybe two lemons per lettuce head. It has to be really tart. Sometimes I add lemon zest too. I've tried it with anchovy oil but it didn't really seem to make a difference. Serve this with crusty bread and a yummy soup and it is a great meal. Try it-- you won't be disappointed!
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love this salad, too! My dad made it for us (with grilled fish as the entree) and it was heavenly. He added finely chopped tomatoes and, instead of parmesan, bleu cheese crumbles. (Otherwise, everything is the same.) SOOO tasty! :)

I love all of the shirts you are creating these days, too! Cute!

XOXO,

~Becca (Slavin)

Holly said...

I thought I made a killer Caesar Salad but I have to say this version looks great...as do all of your other recipes. Chris was interested in reading your blog and afterward promptly notified me that I need to step up my game in terms of cooking. He's no longer allowed to read your blog- LOL.