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Caesar Salad with Shrimp or Chicken is a modern twist on the famous American salad, featuring crunchy Romaine lettuce, a dressing made with anchovies, garlic, and Parmesan, and obligatory croutons. In this recipe, croutons are made from white bread with garlic, parsley, and Parmesan, then baked until golden. The homemade Caesar dressing is based on egg yolks, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil, resembling mayonnaise in texture. The protein — shrimp or chicken breast — is pan-seared separately and served on top with cherry tomatoes. Important: croutons are added to the salad at the very last moment to stay crispy.

For the croutons, white bread (baguette or ciabatta) is cut into ~1.5 cm cubes. Garlic (2 cloves) and parsley (a small bunch) are finely chopped. In a bowl, mix the bread, garlic, parsley, olive oil (3–4 tbsp), and grated Parmesan (50 g). The croutons are placed on a baking sheet and baked in a preheated 180°C oven for 5–7 minutes until golden and crisp.

For the dressing: 2 garlic cloves are crushed with a knife and finely chopped, then 2–3 anchovy fillets are added and minced together with the garlic into a paste. Transfer to a bowl, add 1 tbsp Dijon mustard and 2 egg yolks. Start whisking, slowly drizzling in olive oil (about 150 ml) in a thin stream to create an emulsion similar to mayonnaise. Add 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice), and the juice of half a lemon, continuing to whisk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, in a heated skillet with olive oil, sauté peeled shrimp (300 g) or sliced chicken breast (300 g) until cooked: shrimp — 2–3 minutes per side, chicken — about 5–7 minutes until golden and cooked through. Cherry tomatoes (150 g) are halved.

In a large bowl, combine Romaine lettuce leaves (1–2 heads, torn by hand), add half of the dressing and toss thoroughly. Then add grated Parmesan (another 50 g) and the croutons, gently toss. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the sautéed shrimp/chicken and cherry tomato halves. Drizzle with the remaining dressing if desired and serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 baguette or ciabatta (white bread) — ~200 g for croutons;
• 4–5 cloves garlic (2 — for croutons, 2–3 — for dressing);
• bunch of parsley;
• olive oil extra virgin — ~150–200 ml;
• Parmesan — 100–150 g (half for croutons, the rest for serving);
• 2–3 fillets of anchovies (in oil);
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard;
• 2 egg yolks (from large eggs);
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce;
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or lemon juice);
• juice of ½ lemon;
• salt and freshly ground black pepper;
• 300 g peeled shrimp (or 300 g chicken breast);
• 150 g cherry tomatoes;
• 1–2 heads of Romaine lettuce.

PREPARATION

1. Cut the white bread into cubes about 1.5 cm in size. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and the parsley.
   
   
2. In a bowl, mix the bread cubes with the chopped garlic, parsley, 3–4 tbsp olive oil, and 50 g grated Parmesan. Toss until the croutons are evenly coated.
   
   
3. Spread the croutons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 180°C oven for 5–7 minutes until golden and crispy. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
   
   
4. For the dressing: crush 2–3 garlic cloves with a knife and chop finely. Add the anchovy fillets and chop them together with the garlic into a paste.
   
   
5. Transfer the garlic-anchovy paste to a bowl, add Dijon mustard and egg yolks. Whisk while slowly drizzling in the olive oil (about 150 ml.) in a thin stream, whisking constantly until a thick emulsion resembling mayonnaise forms.
   
   
6. Add Worcestershire sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and the juice of half a lemon. Continue whisking until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The dressing should be tangy and slightly acidic.
   
   
7. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with a little olive oil. Sauté the shrimp (or chicken pieces) until cooked: shrimp — about 2–3 minutes per side until pink, chicken — about 5–7 minutes until golden brown and fully cooked. Season the protein with salt and pepper.
   
   
8. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.
   
   
9. In a large mixing bowl, toss the Romaine lettuce leaves (torn into large pieces) with half of the prepared dressing. Mix thoroughly so every leaf is coated.
   
   
10. Add the remaining grated Parmesan (50–80 g.) and the crispy croutons. Gently but quickly toss so the croutons stay crisp.
    
    
11. Transfer the salad to a large platter or individual plates. Top with the sautéed shrimp (or chicken) and the cherry tomato halves. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve immediately while the croutons are still crunchy.