Chicken Caesar Salad is not that difficult to make, and this recipe beats out the unspeakable versions available in most restaurants these days. God knows what they use in their dressing. My recipe owes a debt of gratitude to America’s Test Kitchen techniques, especially for their brilliant way of producing juicy, succulent chicken breasts. However, our two recipes differ in several ways.
The best recommendations for Chicken Caesar Salad are that it can serve as a complete light supper, and is perfect for overnight holiday guest’s brunches or lunches because most of the work—except for the quick broiling of the chicken breasts—can be done the day before serving.
For a history of Caesar Salad—the original, of course, contained no chicken—click here.
To Go Directly to the Recipe, Click Here.
The Garlic-Herb Croutons
Remove and discard the crusts from the bread.
Cut off the bread crust.
Cut the bread into 1⁄2-inch cubes.
Cut the bread into cubes.
Crush the garlic cloves through a garlic press, or very finely mince the garlic. The garlic press is really the superior instrument for this recipe.
Whisk together the salt, the pressed garlic, and the olive oil in a small saucepan. Place over very low heat for a few minutes just until the oil is warmed and the garlic becomes very fragrant.
Heat the garlic and oil.
You don’t want to cook the garlic. Remove the mixture from the heat, and allow it to steep for about 30 minutes to develop is full flavor.
Place the bread cubes in a baking pan in one layer. Strain the garlic mixture through a sieve onto the bread cubes. Sprinkle the thyme over the cubes, and toss with a spoon until all the bread cubes are well coated in the garlic mixture, being certain the cubes remain in one layer.
Preheat the oven to 400°, and place a rack in the upper third of the oven. Bake the garlic cubes for about 15-20 minutes until nicely browned and crisp, stirring them several times. Let the croutons cool, then store them in an airtight container for up to 48 hours.
The Dressing
Bring water to the boil in a small saucepan. Make certain the eggs are at room temperature because cold eggs are more likely to crack when they hit the hot water. Lower the heat to a simmer, and carefully submerge the room-temperature eggs into the water, coddling them for about 48 seconds. Though not foolproof, this step is a modern-day necessity to help protect against salmonella poisoning. Remove the eggs and allow them to cool. Separate the yolks from the whites in two separate small bowls.
Separate the coddled eggs.
Force the 2 garlic cloves through a garlic press, or mince them very finely.
The garlic press.
Mince the anchovy fillets, then mash them as thoroughly as possible with a fork.
Mash the anchovies.
In another bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and salt until the salt is fully dissolved. Whisk in the 2 egg yolks, Worcestershire Sauce, the mashed garlic and anchovies, and the black pepper.
Beat in the egg yolks.
While beating, whisk in the olive oil by droplets. You should have a thick emulsion by the time you’ve added all the oil. Whisk in 1-2 teaspoons of the egg white to thin the dressing just a bit.
The dressing can be kept in a jar, refrigerated for 24 hours.
The Chicken
Fill a 2-quart bowl with cold water, and whisk in the 3 tablespoons each of salt and sugar until they are completely dissolved.
Make a brine solution.
Submerge the chicken breasts in the brine, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 24 hours.
Submerge the chicken in the brine.
Remove the chicken breasts from the brine, and dry them thoroughly on paper towels so they will brown better.
Lightly oil a broiler pan. Pepper both sides of the chicken breasts, and place them with the bottom side up on the pan.
Pepper the chicken.
Place the pan on an upper rack, about 6 inches from the heating element, and broil the breasts for about 6-8 minutes until brown spots start to appear. Turn the breasts over, right-side-up, and broil for about another 6-8 minutes until brown spots appear.
Broil the breasts.
The breasts are done when you cut into the thickest part, and it is no longer pink. Do not overcook or the chicken will dry out. Cut the breasts crosswise into thin slices about 1⁄4-3⁄8-inch thick.
Slice the breasts.
The Chicken Caesar Salad
Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine hearts. If you can’t find romaine hearts, use a full head of romaine, but don’t use the outermost leaves. Tear each leaf into bite-sized pieces. Place the romaine pieces in a large mixing bowl. Toss the lettuce leaves with the grated Parmigiano until well mixed. Pour enough salad dressing onto the romaine, and mix thoroughly until all the leaves are well coated.
Dress the romaine.
Distribute the dressed romaine among the serving plates.
Place the sliced chicken breasts into the same mixing bowl. Add enough dressing to coat each slice, mixing thoroughly. Arrange slices of dressed chicken breast nicely over the romaine on the serving plates. Sprinkle each plate with the croutons and serve the Chicken Caesar Salad immediately.
