Chicken Caesar Salad

So Tasty…

I love Caesar Salad, this is the first time I have made my own dressing and I was surprised at how quick and easy it was – especially as my teenage daughter had most of the hard work done by the time I came off a phone call to my friend… JJ.

I marinated the chicken in the morning to give it some extra flavour but if you are pressed for time you can bypass this stage.

Ingredients & Costing…
Chicken Fillets x 2	3.99
Baby Gem x 1	0.48
Anchovy Fillets x 1 50gm Tin	0.89
Reggio Parmesan Shavings x 10gm	0.18
Toasted Pinenuts x 5gm	0.22
Croutons – see Pennywise tip below	0.30
Dressing
Egg x 1	0.25
Olive Oil x 150ml	0.66
Mustard Power x 1 heaped tsp	0.05
Worcestershire Sauce x ½ tsp	0.05
Clove of Garlic Peeled x 1	0.05
Juice of 1 Fresh Lime	0.33
Reggio Parmesan Finely Grated x 40gm	0.75
Maldon Sea Salt	0.05
Freshly Ground Black Pepper	0.05
3-4 Hearty Servings	€8.30

It Couldn’t be easier…

æ      Trim the chicken fillets and cut into strips. Combine a tablespoon of olive oil, sliced clove of garlic & the juice of half a lemon in a bowl, toss in the chicken strips, stir well & leave to marinade for a minimum of half an hour

æ      Prepare the baby gem & arrange on individual plates

æ      Open the anchovies, drain reserving the oil & 2 fillets for the dressing. Snip the remaining anchovies into small pieces distributing evenly

æ      To make the dressing – place the egg, peeled clove of garlic, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice & anchovy fillets in the goblet of a processor. Blend until smooth, with the motor running on a slow speed add the combined olive oil & anchovy oil until the ingredients emulsify into a sauce the consistency of pouring cream. Stir in the grated Reggio parmesan & season to taste – you may not need much salt as the anchovies can be quite salty

æ      Char grill the marinated chicken & place on the bed of baby gem

æ      Drizzle generously with the creamy white dressing

æ      To serve scatter with toasted pinenuts, parmesan shavings & croutons…enjoy!!

Pennywise Tip…

Save the thick end slices from a batch loaf and cut into small 1cm cubes, spread on a baking tray allowing it to dry out. Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, crushed clove of garlic & 20gm of finely grated parmesan in a bowl. Toss in the cubed bread ensuring everything gets an even coating, return the bread to the baking tray & place on a high shelf in a preheated oven, gas mark 4 for 10 minutes until golden brown….delicious