Ingredients
3/4 cup croutons
1 coddled egg
2Ts finely chopped garlic
1 anchovy fillet, mashed
Pinch of coarse salt
2EL freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
6EL extra-virgin olive oil
4EL(1/4 cup)freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 head Romaine lettuce
Ground black pepper to taste
Coddled egg may be substituted with 1/2 cup mayonnaise. If doing this substitution, reduce some of the olive oil.
Preparation
To make croutons: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the crust from day-old peasant-style bread (Italian or French bread) and dice into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with enough olive oil to coat, but not drench. Sprinkle lightly with salt and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until just golden brown. Remove from oven and completely cool croutons.
To coddle egg: Place the egg in a small bowl or mug and pour boiling water around the egg until it is covered. Let stand for exactly 1 minute. Immediately run cold water into the bowl until the egg can be easily handled; set aside.
To make dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy, and salt until blended. Whisk in the lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in the coddled egg until the mixture is thick, approximately 1 minute (this enable the lemon juice to “cook” the eggs). Slowly drizzle in the olive oil with one hand while vigorously whisking the mixture with the other. When the dressing is well combined, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese.
To assemble salad: Separate the Romaine leaves and discard the coarse outer leaves. Wash, drain, and pat with paper towels or spin dry the remaining leaves.Tear into bite-size pieces and set aside.
In a large wooden salad bowl, add 1/3 of the dressing and toss with the croutons until well coated. Add the Romaine lettuce pieces and the remaining dressing; toss until coated. To serve: Divide the salad between two chilled plates and sprinkle each salad with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and coarsely ground pepper. Serve immediately with chilled forks.
