Chef Ned Bell first developed his roasted garlic and rosemary Caesar dressing while he was a 19-year-old culinary student. In Lure: Sustainable Seafood Recipes from the West Coast, he revisits that early recipe for this shrimp Caesar salad, pairing crisp romaine with chilled pink shrimp, sourdough croutons, Parmesan crisps and caramelized grilled lemon. The dressing combines roasted garlic, rosemary-infused olive oil, anchovy, Dijon and lemon for a savoury twist on the classic
Shrimp Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Caesar Dressing
- 1 head garlic
- ¾ cup olive oil divided, plus extra for drizzling the garlic
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tsp whole-grain mustard
- 1 oil-packed anchovy from tin
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- ½ cup olive oil mayonnaise
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
Croutons
- ½ sourdough baguette or other artisan bread cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup rosemary oil see above
- coarsely ground black pepper
Salad
- 4 oz Parmesan divided
- 1 lemon halved
- olive oil for brushing
- 2 romaine hearts leaves separated
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 lb chilled pink shrimp cooked and peeled
- 8 marinated white anchovies for garnish
Instructions
Caesar Dressing
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the top third off of the garlic head to expose the cloves. Set on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with a little of the olive oil. Wrap in the foil and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until cloves are soft.
- Meanwhile, heat the ¾ cup olive oil and the rosemary in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes or until the rosemary is infused into the oil. Remove rosemary and discard.
- Squeeze half the roasted garlic out of the papery skins into a blender or food processor. Add the vinegar, both mustards, anchovies, lemon zest and juice, and 1/2 cup of the rosemary oil (set aside the remaining 1/4 cup for the croutons). Stir in the olive oil mayo and season with the salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. Blend for about 1 minute until emulsified. (Dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Leftover roasted garlic can be added to any tasty mash.)
Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, brush the bread slices with rosemary oil until evenly coated. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally to promote even browning, for 15 minutes or until golden. Tear into pieces.
Salad
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Finely grate half the Parmesan. You should have about 1 cup. Spread it into a flat circle on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool, and then peel off the paper and break the cheese crisp into pieces.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (or preheat the grill). Brush the cut sides of the lemons with olive oil. Place cut side down onto the pan (or grill), and sear for 2 to 4 minutes or until caramelized and golden.
- In a large bowl, toss the romaine and half the croutons with enough dressing to coat. Squeeze the caramelized lemons over the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again.
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl or platter. Arrange the shrimp and crispy Parmesan pieces on top. Shave the remaining Parmesan with a vegetable peeler and sprinkle over the salad. Garnish with the remaining croutons and anchovies.
What Makes This Caesar Dressing Different?
Bell’s Caesar vinaigrette starts with roasted garlic and rosemary-infused olive oil, then adds anchovy, Dijon and whole-grain mustard, red wine vinegar and lemon. Mayonnaise gives the vinaigrette body, while the rosemary oil is also used to flavour the sourdough croutons.
Excerpted from Lure by Ned Bell and Valerie Howes. Photographs by Kevin Clark. Copyright 2017 by Chefs for Oceans, recipes copyright by Ned Bell. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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