Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovies (or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste), optional
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk, coddled*
1-1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup safflower oil
1-1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1-1/2 medium-large heads romaine lettuce, outer leaves discarded, remaining leaves washed and thoroughly dried
2 cups croutons
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (don't skimp on quality here)

Directions:
How to coddle an egg:
Submerge the whole egg in boiling water for exactly 40 seconds. Then separate the yolk from the whites as usual. (This kills the bacteria without cooking the yolk.)

Homemade Croutons:
Cube French bread, dry it on baking sheet at 250 F, then sautee it in olive oil, butter, and garlic chips until browned.

1. Add the first 8 ingredients to a large unvarnished wooden salad bowl, in order, one at a time. Beginning with the garlic, after adding each new ingredient use the back of a soup spoon to grind it against the wall of the bowl and blend it with the previous ingredients into a smooth paste. It should take about 15 seconds of muscle power to blend in each new ingredient.
2. Add the oil and vinegar and blend well.
3. Just before serving, tear or slice the lettuce leaves into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad bowl. Toss thoroughly with dressing. Remove some dressing from the bowl if you think it is too much - you don't want to have too much dressing on the leaves.
4. Add the croutons and cheese, toss again, and serve.
~*~ By SURREAL GOURMET@salon.com ~*~