Lemony Chicken Caesar Salad with Garlic-Parmesan Toasts

By DenaK

Ingredients

• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 Tbs. mascarpone (or cream cheese)
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped, sprinkled with a pinch of kosher salt, and mashed to a paste
• 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Couple dashes of Tabasco
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped, sprinkled with a pinch of kosher salt, and mashed to a paste
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 baguette, cut into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices on the extreme diagonal so they’re about 6 inches long
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 cups thinly sliced leftover roast chicken
• 1 lb. romaine hearts (about 2 medium), cored, washed, spun dry, and cut in 2-inch pieces

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from finecooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

Make the vinaigrette:

Finely grate about 1 Tbs. zest from the lemon. Squeeze the lemon to get 2 Tbs. juice. In a blender or mini chopper, purée (as much as possible) the lemon juice, Parmigiano, mascarpone, mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping the sides as needed. While puréeing, drizzle in the oil, slowly at first and then in a more steady stream as the mixture thickens and emulsifies. Thin the vinaigrette with water if needed. Add the lemon zest, thyme, and Tabasco and purée. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp. of each) and more lemon juice if you like.

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Set the baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush them with the oil mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano. Bake until browned, 10 to 12 min.

In a small bowl, toss the chicken with about 1/4 cup of the dressing. In a large bowl, toss the romaine and 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano with enough dressing to coat lightly (you might not need it all). Add salt and pepper to taste.

The dressing is fabulous. I had chicken breast to grill so my salad was more work. This reminded me why I don't make a caesar very often. There is a lot of time that goes into the dressing and croutons, which are necessary for a true home made caesar. Thankfully I have plenty for lunch today. Don't skip the lemon zest I think it makes the dressing!