Q.: I was hoping that you could help me locate a recipe from the Wine Merchant. I have been craving a Wine Merchant Caesar salad for about 15 years now and have traveled to California, Las Vegas, Florida and other “foodie” destinations but haven’t found any that compare. Please help.
— Maureen Brown,
Fairlawn
A.: Luckily for you, Roger Thomas, executive chef at Sheraton Suites Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, was a chef at the Wine Merchant for many years and even owned the restaurant for a while.
He remembers exactly how they made it and was happy to share the recipe. Thomas advises to make sure you use the freshest, best-quality romaine lettuce you can find.
WINE MERCHANT
CAESAR SALAD
2 oz. anchovies, thoroughly drained
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 drops Tabasco sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. high-quality red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks (see note)
Freshly ground black pepper (several grinds)
½ cup canola oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for sprinkling on top
2 large heads romaine lettuce, trimmed, washed and dried
2 cups croutons (see recipe that follows)
Cover the drained anchovies with the extra virgin olive oil, and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour, until the anchovies plump up. Place the anchovies and the olive oil into a large, preferably wooden, salad bowl with the garlic and salt. Use a dinner fork to mash the anchovies, garlic and salt into a semi-smooth paste. Add the Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, vinegar and mustard to the bowl and mix thoroughly with the fork. Add the egg yolks and mix well. Season with the black pepper and then whisk in the canola oil. Whisk in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Make sure the romaine is very clean and dry. Tear it, don’t cut it, into bite-sized pieces. Mix the romaine and the croutons into the dressing, gently tossing and mixing until the leaves are completely coated with the dressing.
Serve at once, grating more Parmigiano-Reggiano on top of each salad at the table.
Makes 6 to 8 generous servings.
Editor’s note: Raw egg yolks carry the risk of salmonella poisoning. We recommend using yolks from pasteurized eggs for this recipe.
— Chef Roger Thomas
CROUTONS
2 cups torn Italian bread
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Place bread on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Bake in an oven heated to 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until toasted and crisp, turning as necessary to keep from burning.
Cool before tossing in salad.
Makes 2 cups.
Got a food question? Lisa Abraham has the answer. Call 330-996-3737; email her at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com with “Ask Lisa” in the subject line; or write to her at 44 E. Exchange St., P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640. Please include your name (initials will be printed on request), hometown and phone number.