Today, I am going to highlight our salad course: Grilled Caesar Salad
There is a famous restaurant in our city. It is fancy, schmancy and if you grew up in town and you had a very special occasion, you may have visited The Celebrity Club. (I did not grow up in Tulsa and I have never been, but I have heard tell!) They are famous for their ceasar salad. All salads are held up to this standard in the restaurant circles of the city. This one may be the new one.
Grilled Caesar Salad from Chef Grant, Tavern on Brady
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. anchovy paste
1 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
1 lemon, halved
1 egg
1 T. Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 head Romaine lettuce, outer leaves removed, halved
preserved lemon (optional)
Crush garlic in bowl with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in oil, then Worcestershire until the mixture is a light coffee color. Add anchovy paste and mustard, whisk. Add lemon juice, whisk. Add egg, whisk. Add cheese, whisk until emulsified.
Making the dressing.
Let set at room temperature while lettuce is prepared.
Brush Romaine with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on raging hot grill for 10-30 seconds, pressing down with a sheet pan or spatula.
Or, just use your heat resistant chef hands.
Remove with spatula or tongs. Cut off root of lettuce. Place on plate, drizzle with dressing, Parmesan cheese, and preserved lemon. Serve with toasted or grilled bread.
The smokiness of the grilled lettuce was simply divine with the slight hint of Worcestershire from the dressing.
When asked about this recipe, Chef Grant stated that it was his own family recipe. He said he had often tried to get the recipe from the Celebrity Club, but to no avail. (He did share, however, that they do use plain yellow mustard in theirs.) When asked why he did not whisk the olive oil in at the last to emulsify the dressing, he stated that he likes his dressing a bit “broken.”
