Besotted Gourmet » Gourmet Magazine

Baked Pear Pie

Jessica — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:40:09 +0000

Ufff… Finally home and back to a regular schedule. Thanksgiving down on the Cape and a few relaxing days up in the New Hampshire White Mountains made for a lovely Thanksgiving weekend, which included my final recipe for the Gourmet-only month of November.

I have to say that my intention for this homage to Gourmet was to be just that, a homage, but I feel like I’m griping about it more than praising it. Here’s the thing about Gourmet… it’s spectacular to look at, day-dream about all of the wonderful urban restaurants and cozy, convivial bed and breakfasts that cure their own bacon, but I’ve found it a touch challenging (and disappointing – I’m sorry!) to cook from.

For Thanksgiving, I was excited to make the recipe for Pear Butterscotch Pie featured in the September issue. I may have mentioned this before, but PT and I are the dessert-lovers’ yin and yang… I opt for anything with fruit or a grandmotherly touch (plum tart, bread puddings, strawberry rhubarb pie, pistachio ice cream), whereas PT would prefer sugar-crusted, chocolate-dipped, caramel-swirled just about anything. I thought that this Pear Butterscotch Pie recipe would be a nice compromise.

Honest, my heart was in the right place, but the recipe only called for ½ cup of brown sugar, actually mentioning that it would bubble and boil into butterscotch while the pie baked. Well, I was skeptical, but, this is Gourmet after all – they should know whether or not brown sugar will bubble and boil into butterscotch in their own recipe.

I envisioned gooey ribbons of buttery, sugary butterscotch enveloping baked, spiced pears in a butter crust. Sadly, everything went according to plan except for the butterscotch; the brown sugar sweetened the pears, but there was nothing that even the most forgiving dessert-lover could claim was butterscotch.

It was a lovely pear pie, nonetheless, and I’ve included the recipe here for those of you whose tastes favor the less sugary dessert, but if you’re trying to sweet-talk someone, you’ll do much better with something like the Salted Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies, Toffee-covered Cheesecake, or Celebration Cake with sugarey, chocolatey frosting.

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Baked Pear Pie, Serves 8

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Bake & Rest Time: 4 Hours

Total Prep Time: 5 Hours 15 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the filling:

3 Tbls. Flour

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

½ Tsp. Nutmeg

1/8 Tsp. Salt

½ Cup Packed Brown Sugar

5 Pears, Bosc and Anjou mix

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 Tsp. Pure Vanilla

1 Tbls. Butter, cut into bits

1 Egg, beaten with a splash of water

1 Tbsp. Raw Sugar

For the pie crust:

2 ½ Cups Flour

1 Cup (2 Sticks) Butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and kept very cold in the refrigerator

½ Tsp. Salt

6-10 Tbls. Ice Water

Preparation:

Start out by making the pie crusts, as they’ll need to rest for just over an hour.

In the bowl of a processor, pulse the flour, butter pieces, and salt until the mixture is sandy. Drizzle in 8 Tbls. of the ice water and pulse 3-5 more times.

The dough will still be sandy. Turn it out onto a well-floured surface, apply some pressure to it, and push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand; gather any of the sandy bits, mound on top of the dough, add a couple more tablespoons of the ice water, and apply pressure and push the dough away again. Repeat the process until the dough has all come together (but don’t add any more water).

Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten into discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, get on with your pie filling.

Peel, core, and cut the pears into 6 sections and place in a large bowl.

Put a cookie or baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425°.

Whisk together the cinnamon, flour, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar until the mixture is uniform in consistency. Cover the pears with the spice mixture and distribute evenly. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and vanilla, mix well, and let sit for 15-30 minutes to soak.

Once the hour is up on the pie crusts, remove one of them from the refrigerator, unwrap, and turn out onto a well-floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out to 12-14 inches in diameter and drape into a 9-inch pie dish.

Add the pear filling to the pie crust and dot with the bits of butter.

Roll out the second pie crust according to the same method and drape over the pie filling, allowing the excess to drape over the side. Using kitchen scissors, cut the excess dough that falls beyond ½ inch past the pie plate and set aside.

Brush the top of the pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with half of the sugar.

Combine all of the excess dough and roll out until it is ½ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut snowflakes, leaves, candy canes, or any other shape and place them on the pie.

Cut 3 one-inch long pie vents in the top crust and pop into the oven, on top of the cookie/baking sheet for 20 minutes. Open the oven door for 30 seconds, turn the heat down to 375°, and bake for 40-45 more minutes.

Cool for 2-3 hours, cut carefully, serve with whipped cream or ice cream and enjoy!

BBQ Pan-Seared Scallops with Creamy Sauerkraut Soup

Jessica — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:35:54 +0000

So, I’m almost two-thirds of the way through my self-imposed Fall-2009-Gourmet-only restraint for November, and I will admit, it’s a lot harder than I thought. I’ve been staring longingly at my Bon Appetit’s, knowing, as I assume the editors at Conde Nast did, that the recipes in BA are a lot more home-cook-full-time-worker friendly. While Gourmet has made the after-thought attempt at the weekday-friendly recipes (and some are quite good), the majority of the magazine is dedicated to 3 hour+ long recipes with ingredients that, quite frankly, I’ve often not heard of. And this is (or, I suppose, was) Gourmet’s tragic flaw – so achingly aspirational, beautiful, untouchable, but in no way practical for the busy home cook trying to eat well on a budget.

With my lamentations out of the way, I will say that, after much, much digging, I was able to find a recipe in the October 2009 issue that sounded both mouth-wateringly appetizing and weeknight do-able. This BBQ Pan-Seared Scallops in Creamy Sauerkraut Soup recipe came from an article on Edward Lee’s 610 Magnolia restaurant in Louisville, KY, a chef that seamlessly weaves deep southern flavors with traditional Korean fare. I wanted to make all of his recipes, but the only one that I could hope to make after work and reasonably expect to eat before 11 at night was this scallop dish, and it was both easy (ok, not grilled chicken on a foreman grill easy, but definitely easy by Gourmet standards) and really, REALLY delicious.

Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

BBQ Pan-Seared Scallops in Creamy Sauerkraut Soup, Serves 4

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 1 Hour

Total Prep Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

For the Scallops:

1 1/3lb. Sea Scallops

½ Tsp. Flour

½ Tsp. Paprika

¼ Tsp. Coriander

¼ Tsp. Pepper

1/8 Tsp. Cayenne

½ Tsp. Garlic Salt

1 Tsp. Kosher Salt

2 Tbls. Olive Oil

For the Creamy Sauerkraut Soup:

3 Tbls. Salt

1 Slice Bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 White Onion, chopped

1 Cup Sauerkraut, drained

1/3 Cup White Wine

2 ½ Cups Chicken Stock

¼ Cup Heavy Cream

1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard

2 Tsp. Sour Cream or crème Fraiche

Preparation:

Get started on the creamy sauerkraut soup by melting 1 of the tablespoons of butter in a very large saute pan over medium heat and cooking the bacon and onions for 5-8 minutes, until most of the fat on the bacon is rendered and the onions are softened.

Add the sauerkraut and wine and allow to simmer briskly for 3-5 minutes.

Turn the heat down to medium low, add the chicken stock and heavy cream, and allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, get on preparing your scallops….

Dry the scallops with a paper towel and set aside.

Combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, coriander, garlic salt, kosher salt, and pepper in a small or medium-sized bowl. Using your hands, dip each scallop into the spice mixture, covering the bottom half of the scallop. Set the spiced scallop on a plate, spice-side up, and put heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat before getting back to your creamy sauerkraut soup….

Once the soup is done simmering for 20 minutes, remove from the heat and add in the mustard and sour cream or crème fraiche. Using a hand blender (please, if you haven’t bought one yet, these are incredibly useful and inexpensive tools and make this task so much easier!), puree the soup or carefully transfer the soup to a blender to blend in batches. Return to the pan on the stove top, season to taste with salt and pepper (taste carefully, it’ll still be pretty hot), and keep warm over low heat.

By this time, the oil in the saute pan should be very hot and shimmery. Place the scallops, spice-side up in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. While the scallops are sauteing, ladle the sauerkraut soup into shallow bowls or along the side of a large plate. Place 4 or 5 of your sauteed scallops on the sauerkraut soup, drizzle the spiced oil remaining in the scallops saute pan over the scallops, serve, and enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes over Polenta

Jessica — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:05:48 +0000

Firstly, let me apologize for the lengthy delay. I, like many Bostonians, was felled by the flu (swine or similar) this past week. And, even after the symptoms are long gone, the exhaustion tends to linger – hence my pathetic and ragged 1.5 mile run yesterday, all of which felt like the last leg of a 10 mile run. It was so sad that I was forced to cheer myself up with a margarita and filet mignon sliders with Dr. S before going to my film debut (shameless self-promotion) in TEN9EIGHT – as an aside, if you’re in need of a little uplifting, kick-your-butt inspirational story, go see this movie. These kids are amazing!

Anyway, I realize that you’re not here to hear about the flu, my drag-ass run, or an exceptional group of entrepreneurial kids that are daring to make their own American dream…. although, they are easily the most interesting thing on this site. You’re here to hear a bit more about Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes over Polenta.

In keeping with my vow to honor Gourmet’s passing by keeping all recipes in November from its last two issues, this is an adaptation of Gourmet’s Shrimp and Pancetta on Polenta in the November issue.

I made a few adaptations to the recipe – namely, substituting bacon for the pancetta and using my own (actually, an adaptation of the Barefoot Contessa’s) non-instant polenta recipe in place of their recommended instant polenta. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you don’t need to ask why. By all means, if it’s important to you to keep this meal’s prep time under 25 minutes, use the instant polenta, but if you have an extra 10-15 minutes to do not a lot of work, then the real thing will really knock your socks off.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Spicy Shrimp & Tomatoes, Serves 4

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Total Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Polenta:

¼ Cup Butter

4 Tbls. Olive Oil

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

½ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

½ Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Pepper

1 ½ Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cups Half-and-Half

1 Cups Milk

1 Cups Cornmeal

¼ Cup Parmesan, grated

For the Spicy Shrimp & Tomato:

2 Tbls. Olve Oil

4 Slices Bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 14oz. Can Diced Tomatoes

1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 Tbls. Parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Begin the polenta by heating the butter and olive oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and saute for 1 minute.

Add the chicken stock, half-and-half, and milk to the pan and bring to a boil.

Rather than watching the pot, waiting for it to boil, get on making the spicy shrimp and tomatoes. Fry the bacon and red pepper flakes in the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Immediately add the tomatoes, mix in with the bacon and garlic well, and allow to simmer for 8 minutes.

By this time, the polenta liquid should be boiling, or close to. Remove from the heat and very slowly add in the cornmeal, bit by bit, stirring constantly. Return to the stove top over low heat and cook until bubbly, stirring consistently, though not necessarily, constantly (every 1-2 minutes) for 5-8 minutes.

Back to the shrimp and tomatoes…. once your 8 minutes are up, add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down to very low, just to keep the dish warm but not continue to cook.

Once the polenta has been bubbling for 5-8 minutes, remove from the stove, stir in the Parmesan, and plate. Scoop a healthy serving of the spicy shrimp and tomatoes over the polenta, garnish with a bit of parsley, serve & enjoy!

Red Wine Caramel Apples from Gourmet

Jessica — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:01:05 +0000

PT and I went apple picking last weekend and for the price of a dinner for two, were allowed to roam through a local orchard in Ipswich, chomping on apples, and occasionally dropping the most perfect red, round orbs into a peck-sized bag.

It was a gorgeous day, bright and crisp, and the orchard was helpfully marked with signs indicating where the various tree varieties – fuji, macoun, macintosh, golden delicious – were located. After a visit with the farm’s miniature horse, Possum, who was delightfully sweet and gentle, and a satisfying afternoon snack of fried whole belly clams and clam chowder, PT and I were headed home with more apples than I knew what to do.

Rewind a few days, and, in my grief, I impulsively promised to post recipes exclusively from Gourmet, before realizing that one of the issues I swore to use had very few recipes, and the ones it did have, largely consisted of exotic ingredients that didn’t jive with my peck of apples and final farm share haul.

That was, until I luckily and serendipitously came across (okay, okay, it was on the front cover), one of Ruth Reichl’s favorite recipes for Red Wine Caramel Apples. This would do just fine.

I planned a Fall-themed dinner of pan-roasted chicken with cranberries, cranberry pecan salad, and red wine caramel apples for dessert. The best part of this recipe is the fun that you can have with your dinner companions, in this case, PT and dear CS, swirling caramel and dipping apples in pools of lovely, sweet goodness.

Enjoy these apples before Fall is ushered out to make room for Winter.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Red Wine Caramel Apples, Serves 6

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cooling Time: 30 Minutes

Total Prep Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

6 Apples

2 Cups Sugar

½ Cup Water

1 ½ Cups Pinot Noir

6 Tbls. Heavy Cream

Preparation:

Bring the sugar and water to boil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat, stirring just until the sugar is dissolved, but be sure to let the pan be as the mixture begins to boil.

Meanwhile, set the wine to boil in another small sauce pan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until the volume is reduced by half.

While both sauce pans are boiling, get the apples apparatus ready. Stick popsicle sticks, or, in my case, freaky finger forks into cleaned and dried apples and set aside.

Set waxed or parchment paper over a cookie sheet and set aside.

After the wine has boiled for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low to keep warm. Tend to the boiling sugar, swirling the pan, and watching for caramelization – it happens quickly, so keep your eye on it. Once it starts to caramelize, watch for the color to go a deep amber. Once that happens, pour your reduced wine into the pan CAREFULLY – it will bubble up, hiss, and generally make a mess of your stove top, but won’t do any real harm.

Stir the cream into the mixture in well, and put a candy thermometer inthe pot. Once the mixture reaches 238°, remove from the heat and let cool until it’s reached 200°.

With your apples on one side and the lined cookie sheet on the other, take each apple and swirl in the warm, liquidy caramel, and set on the lined cookie sheet to harden. Repeat with the rest of the apples, let them cool for 30 minutes, and then pass around to your friends and enjoy!

Vibrant Veggie Soup and little Monday (or Tuesday) Morning Quarterbacking

Jessica — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:46:28 +0000

As promised, November’s posts starts with a recipe made from Gourmet’s October issue, what they called Scarlet Carrot Soup, but which I’ve modified to more of a Vibrant Veggie Soup. When I described the contents to PT – tons of carrots, beets, and parsnips – he crinkled his nose and grabbed a carrot cupcake with maple frosting, presumably to soothe himself from the raw shock of so many vegetables.

As it turns out, the soup was delicious, thanks to a liberal dose of coriander, which playfully and spicily tickled the back of my throat. And while I hope that you do try this soup, as it is incredibly easy, healthy, and tasty, it’s not really what this post is about….

I was flipping through my Gourmet this weekend, pen and post-it notes in hand, and mentally eschewing all of the critiques that had emerged since its demise – that it was out of touch with home cooks, spoke a language that no one understood, wasn’t attune to the economy, etc. I set out to mark the recipes that I couldn’t live without making, and I noticed something that I hadn’t before. I got to page 103 of my October issue and had only seen 3 recipes. This isn’t expected from the iconic cooking magazine that mentored and guided America’s home cooks for the last 70 years.

In Gourmet’s defense, it is their Restaurant Issue, but I have a refrigerator filled with farm share veggies and the crisp Fall air has me in the mood to turn my oven on. Looking for recipes as though they were needles in hay stack was a little disappointing. It was an eye-opening moment when I saw all of the critiques that I had rejected glaring at me from glossy pages.

I still mourn Gourmet’s passing, just with a touch more understanding and perspective.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Vibrant Veggie Soup, Serves 6-8

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Simmering Time: 30 Minutes
Total Prep Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

For the Soup:

¼ Cup Olive Oil

2 Onions, chopped

1/8 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

6 Carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces

2 Beets, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 Parsnip, cut into ½ inch pieces

3 Sprigs Thyme, leaves removed from stems

2 Turkish Bay Leaves

2 Tsp. Coriander

8 Cups Water

2 Tbls. Red Wine Vinegar

For the Carrot Ribbons:

2 Carrots

2-3 Tbls. Flour

½ Tsp. Salt

3 Cups Peanut Oil for Frying

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in large stock pot. Once hot, add the onions, thyme leaves, bay leaves, and red pepper flakes and cook the onions until they’re softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots, beets, parnsip, water, and coriander to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer, covered for 20 minutes.

While the soup is coming to a boil, start making your carrot ribbons. Heat the oil in a medium-sized sauce pan over medium-high heat until it reaches 325°. While it’s heating, make your carrot ribbons by peeling carefully down the length of the carrot with a vegetable peeler until you reach the core.

Toss the carrot ribbons in a bowl with the flour and salt until well-covered. Once the oil reaches 325°, add the carrot ribbons in 2 batches and fry for 1-2 minutes. Let drain on a plate covered with paper towels until the soup is ready to be served.

Now, back to the soup…. Once it’s simmered for 20 minutes, turn the heat off and stir it for a minute or so to release the steam. If you have a hand-held blender, the next step is going to be easy-as-pie – sadly, if you don’t, it’s going to be a bit stickier. With the hand-held blender, simply blend the soup carefully until smooth. If you don’t have one (it may be time to invest), you’ll have to very carefully take the soup to the processor or blender in batches to puree.

Once pureed, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste, ladle into bowls, top with your carrot ribbons, serve (with a big slice of Cheddar Bread), and enjoy!

Good-bye to Gourmet

Jessica — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:01:01 +0000

November is the last month that Conde Nast will publish Gourmet Magazine. The ending, its Thanksgiving issue, is bittersweet and complex – how can we be thankful when we’re losing such a beloved American icon, and, yet, Gourmet gets to go out with a bang, issuing
arguably its greatest and most-anticipated issue of the year.

Like so many other home and professional cooks, I’m mourning the loss of Gourmet. The loss of those frissons of excitement I felt when it appeared in my mailbox, loss of the relaxing moments I would spend, lazily browsing for intriguing and innovative recipes, loss of the recipes themselves, which did more to inspire me in the few months that I was a subscriber than the ocean of cooking content available in print, on the web, and on TV.

But, in addition to the personal loss, I also feel the loss of a cultural icon – an institution that has been influencing and guiding the changing tastes of professional and home kitchens for almost 70 years. Every page of Gourmet was celebratory and filled with life – it represented an America and a lifestyle that we wanted to reclaim and revive, particularly during an economic downturn that, ironically, played a fair part in Gourmet’s undoing.

Enough has been said, here and by others, on the passing of Gourmet. Now, it’s time to celebrate. All recipes on Besotted this month will come from my last 2 lovely issues of Gourmet. I also fully intend to make this Thanksgiving, like those past, a Gourmet Thanksgiving and look forward to sharing the experience.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake

Jessica — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:14:01 +0000

Perfect Summer Cake

It’s officially raspberry season in New England, which feels like finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. For 9-10 months of the year, berries are too expensive, not tasty enough, and from too far away to be contemplated…. But then, for a brief window of time, they are profuse, overflowing at farmers’ markets, in farm share boxes, proudly proclaiming their local origin in the supermarkets, and are equally boastful of their budget-friendly prices.

If you’re like me, you scoop them up by the armful when they are as sweet and luscious as they are in July and August, get them home, and then wonder what on earth you’re going to do with all of them. Well, this Raspberry Buttermilk Cake recipe should help in some small way to make good use of the now-prolific fruit.

It’s easy enough to make for dessert on a week day, but I would personally prefer it for brunch. It’s light and summery, but not too sweet. Served with some rich coffee in the mornings or a generous dollop of whipped cream at night, and it’ll easily become one of your favorite berry recipes.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake, Serves 8

Adapted from Gourmet

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Baking & Cooling Time: 50-60 Minutes

Total Prep Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 Cup Flour

½ Tsp. Baking Powder

½ Tsp. Baking Soda

¼ Tsp. Salt

4 Tbls. (½ Stick) Butter, at room temperature

2/3 Cup Sugar

½ Tsp. Best Quality Vanilla

1 Egg

½ Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Raspberries

1 ½ Tbls. Sugar in the Raw

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium mixing-bowl. Mix well.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes (it should be fluffy and pale yellow). Add the egg and vanilla and beat for an additional minute.

Set the mixer at low speed and add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Once blended, add half of the buttermilk (¼ cup); again, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and, once blended, add the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk. Add the final 1/3 of the dry ingredients and blend until just combined (stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary).

Pour the batter into the buttered and floured cake pan. Sprinkle the raspberries across the top of the batter and top with the Sugar in the Raw.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake should be golden, as in the picture, and fully cooked through (use the toothpick test).

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Move to a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Once cooled, serve with a big dollop of whipped cream for dessert or bacon and eggs for brunch. Enjoy!

Basil & Herbed Caesar Salad

Jessica — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:23:51 +0000

Some people spend Sunday mornings reading the paper (or news online), some go to brunch, some stay in bed, cuddling with their significant others. What do I do? Search for new recipes and dream up ways to use the new basil & herbed dressing I made the day before.

Sounds a bit obsessive, no? Well, it would if you’re accustomed to store-bought dressings with their gag-worthy sodium levels. Thankfully, this dressing was of a different variety and so wonderfully delicious that it trumped even my new farm share lettuces and freshly baked croutons.

It was from this month’s issue of Gourmet, and it was spectacular – light and ethereal, with just the right amount of zing (from lemon and anchovies) and sweetness from basil.

Now, before you turn the page at the mention of vile anchovies, let me assure you that this dressing has no distasteful fishy flavor and should not be reserved for ardent anchovy enthusiasts alone. Serve it secretly to anyone and they will never know that there are anchovies, they will only know that this dressing is D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

I made the traditional caesar salad, but the dressing recipe would be fantastic over any greens and vegetables.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe

Basil & Herbed Caesar Salad, Serves 4
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Baking Time: 15 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

1 Baguette, cut into 1 inch slices
2 Tbls. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
½ Cup Parmesan, Shaved
1 Lb. Romaine Lettuce, washed, dried and rough-chopped

For the Dressing:

2 Garlic Cloves
1 Egg
1 Lemon, Juiced
3 Anchovies or 1 Tbls. Anchovy Paste
6 Tbls. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Basil Leaves, Rough Chopped
½ Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, Rough Chopped
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Toss the baguette pieces with the extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Spread evenly in 1 layer on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a food processor or chopper, blitz the garlic. Add the egg, lemon juice, anchovies, and pepper to the bowl and blitz again until smooth. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, and blitz until emulsified. Add the parsley and basil, and (you guessed it!) blitz again until the mixture is green and the herbs are finely chopped. Take a taste and add salt and pepper, if you like, but it should taste heavenly.

Just tell yourself, anchovies are NOT the enemy, and believe me when I tell you, they make this dressing taste fantastic!

Once the toasts are out of the oven and cool enough to touch, break them up a bit. In a large serving bowl, mix together the Romaine Lettuce, herbed dressing, croutons, and the shaved parmesan, toss well, serve, and enjoy!