Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

The other day it was late and I wanted to grill something.  It happens, maybe not to all, but it happens to me all of the time.  So I went in the fridge and all I had was chicken.  I don’t mean to sound sad, but I was in the mood to grill something crazy. But, chicken was what was available.  So I decided to make grilled chicken caesar salads.  It ended up being a good thing that all I had was chicken as it was so late that it was too dark to take photos of the food on the grill.  Luckily for me, most of the salad was assembled and created inside.  The basis for Caesar salad dressing is anchovies. However, Dana did not want to eat anything with anchovies in it.  I asked her if she had ever had a caesar salad and she quickly replied with a yes. Then I said you have had anchovies.  She was not having it.  However, after making the dressing she finally realized that anchovies can be good.

The salad is topped with a fan of chicken and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

• Dressing – (From Tyler Florence)
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 4 anchovy fillets
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
• Croutons
  • 1 loaf day old french bread
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 4 tbs olive oil

• Chicken
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt and pepper

Croutons

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut 1/2 to 3/4-inch croutons from the loaf of bread and place on a baking sheet and put into the oven until dry but not browned.

Grate the garlic.  Then add the garlic, oil and pinch of salt into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the dried croutons and fry, tossing constantly until all of the oil is absorbed and the croutons turn gold. Set aside.

Dressing

The basic flavor for Caesar salad dressing is anchovies.  I know it sounds gross, but without them it is not Caesar dressing.

Put the anchovies, garlic, egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice, and water into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.

With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Set aside in the refrigerator.

Chicken

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill over high heat until fully cooked.

Unfortunately it was dark out and I was unable to take photos of the grill.

Assembly

Tear the lettuce into a large bowl.  Add the croutons and stir.

Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking. Sprinkle the top with a tad more Parmesan and toss the salad well.

Slice the chicken into thin strips and lay over the salad.

Serve immediately.