Avocado Bibb Caesar Salad
Caesar salad is something that I have true love for— it’s crunchy, creamy, savory and full of umami— so any chance to riff on it is always super fun. This salad was in part inspired by a salad at Don Angie, a Michelin-starred restaurant right down the street from me in the West Village. Their signature Caesar-inspired Chrysanthemum Salad is a favorite and I’ve taken cues from their presentation in which a generous shower (a tsunami, actually!) of grated parmesan covers most of the salad just before serving. In lieu of breadcrumbs I’ve added panko for crunch, and I’ve also thrown in avocado for a touch of creaminess and, well, because everyone loves avocado, right?
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
2 heads bibb lettuce
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup panko
1 tsp olive oil
½ cup basil leaves, packed
¼ cup chives, cut into ½” pieces
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Zest of 1 lemon
Dressing
½ cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
METHOD
Toast panko with olive oil in a pan, over medium heat, until pale golden brown. Set aside and let cool completely, then combine with pecorino.
To make dressing, combine Greek yogurt, Dijon, lemon juice, olive oil, anchovies, salt and pepper with a hand immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth and creamy.
To assemble, separate lettuce leaves, tearing large leaves in half and toss with dressing in a bowl until coated, then arrange leaves on a serving platter in a mound. Add avocado and herbs then pour entire parmesan panko mix evenly over the salad, ensuring to cover as much of the salad as possible— it should look like snowfall! Grate lemon zest directly atop salad and serve.
