Caesar Vinaigrette w/Sourdough Panzanella or Hamburg Wedge

 

About this recipe:

Hamburg lettuce is a cross between Romaine and Iceberg Lettuce. It has the slight bitterness of Romaine with the crisp lusciousness of Iceberg. The traditional Iceberg salad is a Wedge, usually drenched in a heavy Blue Cheese Dressing. The traditional Romaine salad is a Caesar, also doused in a heavy dressing. We thought we’d combine the best of both worlds and create a lighter summery salad that perfectly pairs with our Hamburg Lettuce.

This lighter, tangy dressing has the notes of a traditional Caesar Dressing (garlic, anchovy, parmesan & lemon), and we love pairing this funky vinaigrette with the chewy tang of Sourdough Bread.

While our initial idea for a Caesar Wedge was delicious, we also tried it out on a Panzanella Salad featuring lightly toasted chunks of sourdough bread tossed in the Vinaigrette, and then added to dressed greens, and we think it’s pretty perfect!.

Ingredients:

For the Caesar Vinaigrette:

  • 4 cloves of garlic minced and smashed

  • 8 anchovy fillets along with their oil

  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tsp lemon zest

  • 1 Tbs lemon juice

  • 3 Tbs red wine vinegar

  • 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

  • 1 Ounce Finely Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

  • Heavy pinch of salt

  • 3/4 cup EV Olive oil

For the Panzanella Salad:

  • 2 Heads Hamburg Lettuce (or Romaine) washed, cored, and chopped into 1 to 2-inch pieces

  • 6 One-inch Thick Slices of Sourdough Bread

  • EV Olive Oil

  •   Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

For the Wedge Salad:

  • 2 Heads Hamburg Lettuce, washed & quartered lengthwise

  • 8 Quarter-inch thick Slices of Sourdough Bread (or Italian, Baguette, Etc)

  • EV Olive Oil

  • Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

For the Vinaigrette:
Finely mince and smash the garlic into a paste (or use a garlic press). Likewise, finely mince the anchovies and drag them under the side of a knife to make a paste (alternately you can use about a Tablespoon of tubed anchovy paste, but you’ll miss out on the anchovy infused oil from canned fillets). Combine all of the ingredients in a pint mason jar and shake vigorously until well combined.

For the Panzanella Salad:
Brush the thick slices of Sourdough with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and toast until lightly golden on the outside, but still soft and chewy on the inside. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks (about 1-inch). Don’t slice them, you want the craggy edges of the torn bread. Place the bread chunks into a large bowl and add about 1/2 of the dressing, toss to coat the bread, and let it absorb all the dressing. Add the chopped Hamburg lettuce along with more dressing to taste. Use a vegetable peeler to shave slices of Parmesan cheese over the top and serve immediately.

For the Caear Wedge Salad:
Brush the thin slices of Sourdough with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and toast until dark golden with some brown spots. Leave the bread in the toaster (or oven) to dry out while you prepare the lettuce.

After quartering the lettuce, remove the central stalk/core, and carefully lay two wedges on a plate, slightly overlapping. Drizzle the Dressing over the wedges and crumble the toasted Sourdough over the greens. Use a vegetable peeler to shave slices of Parmesan cheese over the top, drizzle with a little more Dressing, and serve immediately.

NOTE:

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a Protected Designation of Origin cheese produced exclusively in central Italy and aged at least 12 months.  You can substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano with another quality Parmesan cheese or a Grana Padano.