Le Gruyère AOP reserve Caesar salad
- Main
- Medium
- 2
- 1 hour 15 minutes
PT1H15M
This hearty salad is a twist on a traditional Caesar, with plenty of delicious, umami-rich extras to add texture and deep, savoury flavour – garlicky mushrooms, crunchy, cheesy croutons and whole, caramelised garlic cloves. This salad is made without chicken or fish, but Gruyère cheese is traditionally made with animal rennet. Many vegetarians, such as Nancy, don't mind such technicalities, but it's worth checking if you're cooking for guests.
Ingredients
Whole roasted garlic cloves
Sourdough croutons
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 slices of sourdough bread, large and thick (1.5cm)
- 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 30g of Gruyère , finely grated
Marinated garlic mushrooms
- 200g of mushrooms
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice , fresh
- 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Gruyère Caesar dressing
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon , juice of
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp of miso paste , dark
- 50g of Gruyère , finely grated
- 40g of extra virgin olive oil
- 40g of rice bran oil
Salad
- 1 romaine lettuce , washed and sliced into 3cm strips
- Gruyère , shaved, to garnish
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 200°c/gas mark 6
2
Slice the top 1cm off the garlic bulb. Wrap in a twist of baking paper or tinfoil and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, until the garlic cloves are caramelised and evenly golden brown
3
While the bulb is roasting, prepare the garlic oil for the croutons. Crush the clove of garlic and add to a small bowl. Mix with a good drizzle of olive oil and set aside
4
Remove the roasted garlic bulb from the oven and leave to cool. Pop the garlic cloves out of their papery casing and set aside for finishing the salad, reserving 2 cloves for the marinated garlic mushrooms
5
To prepare the bread for the croutons, cut the sourdough slices into cubes and add to a medium bowl. Sprinkle over the water and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil and massage into the bread
6
Arrange the cubes of sourdough in a single layer on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, shaking once or twice as they cook, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over the grated Gruyère reserve and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven and return to the same bowl
7
Drizzle over the reserved garlic oil and set aside to cool, tossing occasionally to ensure the cheese and oil are evenly distributed
8
Heat a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Cut the mushrooms into quarters or thick slices and add to the pan in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Sear on all sides until golden brown and reduced in size
9
Meanwhile, mix together the other ingredients in a small bowl to form a marinade. When all the mushrooms have been cooked, transfer to a bowl, toss with the reserved marinade and set aside
10
For the dressing, finely grate the garlic and add to a small bowl with the lemon juice. Mix well to combine and set aside, leaving to infuse while you prepare the other ingredients
11
Add the egg yolks, Worcestershire sauce and miso paste to a food processor along with the garlic and lemon and blend thoroughly. Add the grated cheese and blend until fully incorporated into the dressing base, seasoning with plenty of freshly ground black pepper
12
Measure the oils into a small jug and, with the food processor still running, start to slowly drizzle in the oils into the dressing until emulsified. Once all the oil has been added, taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if necessary
13
Add the sliced salad to a large bowl with the remaining whole-roasted garlic cloves, the marinated mushrooms and half of the croutons. Drizzle over the dressing and toss everything together until fully combined
14
Divide the dressed salad between two large bowls and garnish with the remaining croutons and a few shavings of Gruyère
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Le Gruyère AOP reserve Caesar salad
