caesar salad pizza

as far as salads go,
caesar seems like it should be a pizza.

 

those colossal croutons that go ricocheting off the plate if you try to cut one down to bite-size, are better made as a pizza base for tossed greens.

and i think parmesan is classic for salad and pizza.

no need to add salt:
anchovies are salt enough for a caesar salad dressing.

to easily prepare romaine lettuce:

cut off the root-end of the head of romaine.

stack three leaves and make a long cut down the center.

stack the halved leaves and cut across them.

repeat until all of the leaves are cut. then clean in a salad spinner.

ingredients (serves 4)

• pizza dough for two 10" pies (click here for one of my fav. recipes from mario batali)

• olive oil for drizzling

• 4-6 heaping handfuls of grated parmesan cheese

• 3 small heads of romaine lettuce, cut into ribbons and cleaned 

(see above for easy cutting)

• 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

• 2 shallots, roughly chopped

• 2 eggs

• 4 large cloves of roasted garlic (click to learn how to roast garlic)

• 2 tbls. lemon juice

• 1 small tin of anchovies, drained and roughly chopped

• cracked pepper

directions

1. make the pizza dough well in advance so it has time to rise.

2. coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and heat on med. until shimmering.

3. add the chopped bell pepper and shallots to the skillet and cover with a lid. reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft.

4. purée the peppers and onion in the blender.

5. set a small pot of water on the stove to boil and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

6. roll or toss the pizzas to about 10" in diameter. set one of them on a pizza peel sprinkled with corn meal.

7. pierce the wide end of the eggs with a needle (tapping it with the handle of a spatula makes a clean hole).

8. put the eggs on a large slotted spoon and lower them into the boiling water. boil for 90 seconds.

9. remove the eggs to a bowl and allow them to cool a bit.

10. when the oven is to temp. drizzle the pizza dough with olive oil and spread 1/2 of the cheese on top. slide it into the oven and bake about 10 min. until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

11. while the pizzas are baking, smash the roasted garlic in the bottom of a med. glass mixing bowl. break the eggs and add to the bowl with the garlic. be sure to spoon out any egg whites left in the shells.

12. slowly whisk in the lemon juice, and then the olive oil. then add a few tbls. of the bell pepper purée and the chopped anchovies. 

13. put the lettuce into a large bowl and pour on some of the dressing. toss to coat and add more until it is well coated but not dripping.

14. pull the pizzas from the oven and set them on the cutting board for a few minuetes to cool. top with the tossed salad and a generous amount of cracked pepper. cut each pizza into four slices. serve with a bowl of the red bell pepper sauce for dipping.