I love a good Caesar salad but honestly…it doesn’t compare to a grilled one! The flavors are more subtle, deeper and more complex. Add grilled shrimp or chicken and an intensely flavorful creamy dressing and it brings this simple dish to the levels of the sublime.
One person can eat a whole head of romaine and not feel stuffed. The dressing is intensely flavorful and not the classic caesar but rather a creamy, lemony, thick rich anchovy dressing that goes perfectly with the more mild grilled greens. It can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for weeks.
Put several heads of romaine on the grill and delight your family or invite friends to share a simple meal or as part of a multi course meal. Add shrimp, chicken or enjoy it alone. This is sure to become a favorite thing to grill this summer or anytime.
Ingredients
1 head romaine per person
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 or 3 (or to taste) anchovy filets – chopped
2 or 3 sprigs of fresh parsley – stems removed and chopped
Grated or shaved parmesan
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Blackening Mix
Start with a base of 4 tablespoons of paprika then add a pinch of course black pepper, crushed red pepper; cayenne; garlic salt; dried oregano. Then adjust to suit your individual taste.
Instructions
Rub olive oil on the romaine heads and place on a hot grill. Rotate until all sides are charred. In the meantime, make the dressing by putting all ingredients, except the parmesan in a bowl and whisk until thick, creamy and emulsified. Adjust to taste by adding more lemon or vinegar. Be careful to not to season until after you taste it. Anchovies are salty so you may not have to add any salt.
Drizzle over the greens. Top with shaved parmesan and serve or add grilled shrimp or chicken. As you can see above I added shrimp and the combo of the distinct flavor of the shrimp with the smoky mild greens and vibrant dressing was so good I could have easily eaten another!
