CAESAR SALAD WITH POTATO CROUTONS

What You Need

Here’s How

To Prepare the Croutons

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray or wipe with olive oil. Wash the potatoes, leaving on the skins, cut them in wedges 1-1/2cm wide and then again to make cubes. Drain the potato chunks in a colander and spread them out on a double layer of paper towels to dry. Mix together the olive oil, pepper, salt, finely grated Parmesan and Cajun seasoning in a large bowl and drop the potato cubes into it using your fingers to coat them. Add a bit more olive oil if you need it. Bake the potato chunks for 15–20 minutes, turning them occasionally so they brown evenly. Remove from the oven and drain on double layers of paper towels to cool.

To Prepare the Dressing

In a small bowl mix together the lemon juice, the garlic, the olive oil and Worcestershire sauce. Break the whole egg into the jar and whisk with a fork or whisk to blend well.

To Prepare the Salad

Wash and dry the romaine leaves. Then tear the leaves into chunky morsels, wrap them in a clean tea towel and chill in the fridge until you need them. Place the romaine chunks in a large, flat salad bowl, add the cooled potato croutons and pour the freshly-made salad dressing over all. Add the anchovies and season. Toss and serve topped with shaved Parmesan.

Add something surprising to a salad or do it your own way. As a kid, I loved Caesar salad above all others. I ordered it whenever I had the chance – usually with extra anchovies since I was as addicted to them as most children are to chocolate. Since then, I have mostly stopped eating this favorite – first because what is nowadays called Caesar salad often bears little resemblance to the real thing and second because, like a growing number of people, I find I do better without wheat in my life. But what, after all, would a Caesar salad be without croutons? Then, one day, I hit upon the idea of making potato croutons instead. And that’s how my wheat-free Caesar salad was born. The combination of these crispy oven baked gems and the traditional Caesar dressing complete with a raw, free-range, organic egg is great. But don’t try to make this dressing with an ordinary battery egg; for there is always the possibility that you could end up with salmonella.

SECRETS OF THE ANCHOVY

Anchovies are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids, which are virtually impossible to come by on a diet of convenience foods, have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer tumors and may also help lower soaring blood cholesterol levels. Anchovies are also rich in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA which some experts in human biochemistry believe may help prevent premature aging. They appear to help the body create healthy and long lived cells. Finally, these tasty little fish are also rich in calcium and vitamin A.