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I've been having a serious love affair with yuzu lately. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus that tastes sort of like a sweeter grapefruit mixed with a mandarin orange, and a touch of sour on the back palate. It's one of those flavors that when added to a dish unknowingly - it truly gives it that extra special edge that you never even knew you were missing.
So the other night when I was craving a caesar, I thought, why not try swapping out my typical lemon for a splash of yuzu goodness - and let me just say, CHANGED my whole view of this dressing! Gave it a whole new level of depth and flavor that worked perfectly with crisp romaine, a heavy shaving of parmesan, and of course - homemade garlic croutons!
Yuzu Caesar Salad
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (or 2 garlic cloves finely minced)
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (or 2 anchovy fillets, minced)
- 2 tablespoons yuzu juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon parmesan, freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Croutons
- 1/4 baguette
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (or finely minced garlic)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad
- 2 large heads romaine lettuce
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Chop baguette into cubes and then toss with olive oil, garlic, thyme leaves, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to coat. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a large mixing bowl (wooden is preferable) add garlic and anchovy paste. Mix fully to incorporate. Then add yuzu juice and egg yolk. Whisk until fully incorporated. Continue whisking vigorously and slowly add in olive oil until mixture is creamy and fully combined. Add in parmesan, salt, and pepper, and mix.
Chop romaine lettuce into pieces and toss into the salad dressing. Toss to coat evenly. Add in croutons and top with shaved parmesan. Enjoy!