You might think Caesar Salad is American, but legend has it that it was invented in Tijuana in the 1920s by an Italian named Caesar Cardini, who originally called it “aviator’s salad” because so many of the U.S. Air Force pilots based in San Diego loved it. In any case, the secret to a great Caesar salad is making sure everything is as fresh as you can get it—this includes the eggs and lettuce—and the best quality possible: freshly grated (and real) Parmesan and good anchovies, packed in either salt or olive oil.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 heads romaine lettuce

　　1 garlic clove, cut in half

　　6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar

　　1 to 2 tablespoons minced anchovies, or to taste

　　2 eggs or 1/2 cup pasteurized egg product

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

　　Croutons (page 580), rubbed with garlic

　　

Step 1

Peel away all of the dark green (and even medium dark green) outer leaves of the romaine heads; you want only hearts and tender inner leaves.

　　

Step 2

Rub the inside of your salad bowl with the garlic clove; discard it. Add the oil, vinegar, and anchovies to the bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the eggs, salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Taste the dressing on a leaf of romaine at this point and assess how much more acidity it needs and whether or not it will need any additional salt (remembering that you’re going to add more salty Parmesan in a minute) or pepper. Add lemon juice to taste and salt and pepper as necessary.

　　

Step 3

Toss the lettuce in the dressing; top with the croutons and remaining Parmesan, then bring to the table and toss again. Serve immediately.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.