Caesar Salad With Homemade Croutons

Paola Bacchia's recipe for a Caesar salad with homemade dressing and garlic croutons.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) fan-forced. Place two of the garlic cloves on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, or until the garlic is soft.
Turn the oven down to 210°F (100°C). Cut the third garlic clove in half and rub the cut sides over the bread slices. Cut the bread into cubes, place on the baking tray and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until the bread croutons start to dry out and take on a bit of colour. Set aside.
Place the pancetta on a sheet of foil under an oven grill (broiler) preheated to medium–high, and grill until the pancetta starts releasing its fat and turns a deep pink. Keep an eye on it, so the edges don’t burn – it should take no more than 5 minutes if the slices are thin. The pancetta will be a bit soft when hot, but will crisp up as it cools. Set aside.
Wash and spin-dry the lettuce leaves, discarding any damaged ones. Chop or tear the leaves into large pieces and place in a mixing bowl.

Place the egg yolks and vinegar in a tall narrow container. Using an immersion blender or electric whisk, beat at low speed, then increase the speed to high and drizzle in the olive oil in a thin steady stream. The dressing should thicken as you add more oil. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the mayonnaise, add the anchovy fillets and give it a light whisk until well incorporated. The dressing should be quite thick. Add salt, if needed, then thin the dressing with a little extra vinegar so that the dressing is pourable and tastes balanced. Add Tabasco, to taste.
Pour half the dressing over the lettuce. Toss until the leaves are well coated. Transfer to a serving bowl, then scatter with the croutons, parmesan and crispy pancetta. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the top and serve immediately.