There is no better time than now to fill up on your greens, meaning right before the holiday parties get into full swing. While some would argue that a Caesar salad isn’t all that healthy, we’ve managed to track one down from The Belvedere restaurant, situated inside The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel. While y’all may not be thrilled to hear that it contains kale and brussels sprouts, we urge you to call on your inner veggie-lover and give it a try. After all, it even has homemade dressing! Created by Chef David Codney, the Charred Caesar (as he calls it) is perfectly crunchy and delicious. We could honestly eat an entire bowl of it and are pretty pleased with the fact that we can now do just that from the comfort of our own couch. We urge you to do the same.
Ingredients:
3 heads romaine hearts (chopped)
1 bunch kale (stems removed, washed, and thoroughly dried)
1 pound brussels sprouts
4 oz parmesan (shredded)
4 oz parmesan (shaved)
1/2 cup croutons
Peppercorn-White Anchovy dressing*
DIRECTIONS:
1. “Preheat oven to 400°F.”
2. “Cut the brussels sprouts into quarters. Toss liberally in olive oil and salt. Roast until crispy and soft, about 30 min—they are ready when they turn dark brown.”
3. “Toss kale lightly in olive oil and bake slowly in a single layer on a sheet tray in a 300°F oven until crispy, about 30 minutes. Resist the urge to pile on kale, as it can resist in a soggy chip.”
4. “Set brussels sprouts and kale aside to cool.”
5. “In a large bowl, place romaine, roasted brussels sprouts, crispy kale, shredded parmesan, and croutons, and toss with dressing.”
6. “Garnish with shaved parmesan. I like to finish with a drizzle of olive oil to really drive the flavor home.”
*PEPPERCORN-WHITE ANCHOVY DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon (juice and zest)
2 tbsp half-and-half
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 oil-packed anchovy filets
1 garlic clove
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes Tabasco
Cracked pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. “Blend garlic, anchovy, and water together in blender until smooth.”
2. “Add vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, and lemon zest.”
3. “Add yolk.”
4. “While blender is on low, slowly add the olive oil.”
5.” To finish, add Tabasco, Worcestershire, parmesan, and cracked pepper.”
