This twist on a classic is bright and unique…
Don’t let the word “salad” or the sight of something green scare you away. Although quarantine has defined 2020 as the year of the carb (#Sourdough), in 2020 we also refuse to eat boring salads. In this riff on a Caesar, petals of crunchy romaine heart are the perfect vehicle for a rich dressing flecked with heat from the addition of Korean Gochujang paste. In place of parmesan and croutons, there is a warm, umami breadcrumb that comes to life with layers of flavor: rich miso, ginger, tamari, floral grapefruit zest and yes - butter. Let’s just say this is Caesar salad with a major glow up. If you’re feeling up for it, go for the full plating — it will feel like you’re taking yourself (and whoever is stuck at home with you!) out to a fancy dinner.
Gochujang Caesar Salad
Serves 4
2 romaine hearts
1 whole very ripe grapefruit
GOCHUJANG CAESAR DRESSING:
2 room temperature egg yolks
2 tsps lemon juice
¾ cup of neutral oil, or until mayonnaise is semi-stuff
Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 anchovy fillet, cut in half (2 if you like)
½ tsp fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
Juice of ½ lemon
1 ½ tsp gochujang (korean chili paste)
¾ tsp rice vinegar
BREADCRUMBS:
1 Tbsp of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature or melted slightly in a microwave
1 tsp grated ginger
1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
2 Tbsp white miso
¼ teaspoon hot sesame oil
¼ teaspoon Tamari
½ cup of panko bread crumbs
Grapefruit zest. added at the end, while warm
First, take your whole grapefruit and rinse it, since we will use some of the outside for zest. The more ripe the grapefruit, the better as it will lend a sweeter flavor. Cut the grapefruit in half, across instead of top to bottom. Juice one half into a bowl and strain to remove seeds and solids.
Set the other half aside, as you may want to use some for plating.
Start by making a stiff unsalted mayonnaise. For such a small amount, the best way to do this is in a medium mixing bowl with a large, balloon whisk. Prepare for a very gratifying arm workout! (If you have a hand mixer, you can use that instead!)
If you are making your mayo by hand, stabilize your bowl by laying down a slightly damp kitchen towel on your counter. Place an empty pot on top, with a second damp kitchen towel draped over it. Secure the bowl inside the pot. Now it will not move while you whisk like a maniac!
To the bowl, add two room temperature egg yolks and 2 tsps of lemon juice. You can always bring egg yolks to room temperature by placing whole eggs right out of the fridge in hot water for a minute or two. One drop at a time, start to whisk in your neutral oil with the egg yolks and lemon juice. You really have to do this one drop at a time initially, or the oil will separate instead of emulsify. Once about half of your oil is added and emulsified, you can start to add the oil a little more quickly. When you’ve incorporated all of your oil, or your mayonnaise has reached a fairly stiff texture, it’s ready. (Did your emulsification break? No stress! Here’s a great video for fixing it.)
Once your mayonnaise is made, mix in your seasoning elements:
In a mortar and pestle, or on a cutting board, make a paste of 1 garlic clove, 1-2 anchovy fillets and a heaping ¼ tsp of salt. It may take a minute or two to get a paste. Whisk into mayonnaise. Then add juice of ½ lemon, ½ tsp of grapefruit juice (making sure neither have seeds or solids), and ¾ tsp rice vinegar. Mix well.
Next, add 1 ½ tsp of gochujang, making sure to incorporate it in evenly. Taste for salt and heat -- add a little more gochujang if you like. Once finished, cover and set aside. You can also make this dressing in advance, and keep refrigerated up to 5 days.
Gently rinse your romaine hearts, being careful to maintain the layers, and set aside on top of a kitchen towel or paper towel to dry.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of softened unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon peeled, finely grated ginger, finely minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons of white miso, ¼ teaspoon of both tamari and hot sesame oil. Mix well and then gently fold in ½ cup of panko bread crumbs.
In a small, nonstick pan, brown bread crumbs over medium low heat, agitating constantly making sure not to burn them. If you have only a stainless pan, add canola oil to the pan before cooking and scrape bottom of the pan often. When a majority of the bread crumbs have turned a darker shade of brown, take off the heat and move to a small bowl to cool.
To serve, gently toss romaine with dressing, top with warm breadcrumbs and finish with grapefruit zest.
Or, if you’re feeling fancy, plate it up properly: using a large, preferably flat dinner plate, add 2 Tbsps of dressing to the middle of the plate. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread the dressing into a thin, even layer.
Add grapefruit zest to warm bread crumbs. Mix and then add some to the plate.
Cut your romaine hearts across into 1 inch rounds, holding all the layers together with your fingers. Carefully place 2-3 around the plate, lightly pressing them down into the layer of dressing and breadcrumbs on the plate to secure them.
Finish with very thinly cut pieces of ripe grapefruit.
