Griddled Gem Lettuce with Lemony Caesar Dressing, Giant Crouton & Shaved Parmesan
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Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
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Serves: 2
 
Griddled Gem Lettuce with Lemony Caesar Dressing, Giant Crouton & Shaved Parmesan; a versatile dish you can serve this as a starter or a side.
Ingredients
Dish
  • 2-4 pieces of day old bread for giant crouton. I like using ciabatta as the size is perfect
  • 2 gem lettuces, gently rinsed clean and split in half lengthways
  • Parmesan or other vegetarian style hard cheese, shaved with a peeler
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Dressing (with leftovers)
  • 1 medium organic egg + 1 egg yolk
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Zest of half a lemon + 1 tablespoon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce (I used a vegetarian friendly one)
  • 90mls light olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC to make your giant crouton. Slice the bread into 1cm thick piece, and brush both sides with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 180ºC (fan) until browned. You can also cook the bread on the griddle pan for a few minutes each side. Set aside.
  2. Next make your dressing, easily done in a food processor. Place the egg, egg yolk, garlic, mustard, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce into the food processor, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Whizz untll just combined. Then with the motor running pour in the olive oil, whisk for at least 10 seconds after the oil is poured in, it helps it thicken. Add the lemon juice and briefly pulse again. The texture won’t be like mayonnaise, far looser. Taste and adjust seasoning, or add an extra dash of Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
  3. Now cook your gem. Heat up a griddle pan on the hob over a medium heat, and add a touch of oil to the pan. Place the gem cut side down on the griddle and cook for 1-2 minutes until char marks appear. Turn over and cook for another minute. Remove from heat, season, and get ready to serve immediately. If frying a large batch you can keep warm in the oven.
  4. To plate up start with a pool of dressing on the bottom of the plate, top with the grilled gem, make sure the the second piece is balanced on an angle for top presentation, then add the crouton, more dressing, shavings of parmesan and a final pinch of black pepper.
Recipe by Ceri Jones Chef at https://cerijoneschef.com/?p=9585