Morton's Caesar Salad

As Morton's states in their cookbook what really makes this salad is their salad dressing and I couldn't agree more. Without it, all you have is Romaine and croutons -how special is that? The dressing was very good, you could definitely tell it was homemade. I made the croutons the morning of and the dressing two days prior to dinner.

Morton's Caesar Salad
Courtesy Morton's Steak Bible
Serves 6

2 slices firm, thick sliced white bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons Clarified Butter, melted or olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large Romaine lettuce, each weighing a generous 1 pound, washed and dried
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Caesar Dressing, recipe follows

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F.

2. Cut each slice of bread into 16 to 20 cubes. Put the bread cubes in a bowl, drizzle with the butter, and toss to evenly coat. Spread the cubes in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden brown. Shake the pan once or twice to encourage even browning.

3. Transfer the croutons to a medium mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan and the garlic powder over the croutons. Gently toss. Set aside at room temperature.

4. Cut the lettuce into large bite size pieces and transfer to a large salad or mixing bowl. Toss with the Caesar Dressing. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan over the salad and add the croutons.

Caesar Dressing
Makes about 3 1/2 cups

3 large eggs
Two 2 ounces cans anchovies packed in oil, rinsed, patted dry, and diced
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 cups flavorless vegetable oil such as canola or safflower
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine he eggs, anchovies, mustard, garlic powder, anchovy paste, and pepper. Process for about 2 minutes, or until thoroughly mixed.
2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified and the consistency of thin mayonnaise. Add the vinegar and lemon juice. Mix until the dressing is well combined. With the motor still running, add the Parmesan. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then mix the dressing for 30 seconds.
3. Refrigerate the dressing for at least 1 hour, or until chilled. Use the dressing immediately or transfer to a covered storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Note: If you don't use day old bread for the croutons, you will have to bake them longer as the bread will have more moisture in it. Also, if you've never cooked with anchovies, as I hadn't, when you rinse them only remove the bones that will easily give otherwise you'll end up tearing your anchovy and ending up with shredded pieces.