Chicory Caesar Salad
By OcadoLife
Published on 11 September 2021
The crisp leaves and rich dressing make this super salad a winner. Toasted focaccia croutons are tumbled together with cooked chicken, fresh chicory and a creamy anchovy dressing – using ricotta salata adds a lovely acidity, but parmesan alone is fine if you prefer. Ukrainian chef and food writer Olia Hercules has published numerous cookbooks.Time and servings
20 minsTotal time
4Servings
20 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 100 g of rosemary focaccia or sourdough bread
- 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 anchovies in oil, to taste
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp of worcester sauce
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 60 ml of vegetable oil
- 30 g of parmesan, grated
- 30 g of ricotta salata cheese, finely grated
- 200 g of poached or roast chicken
- 400 g of chicory(about 3), quartered
- 1 handful of parsley, to serve
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Tear the focaccia into small pieces, put on a baking tray and drizzle with the oil. Bake for 15 mins or until golden.Step 2
Meanwhile, to make the dressing, roughly chop the garlic and anchovies and bash with a pestle and mortar, with a pinch of sea salt, until you have a paste. Transfer to a small bowl, add the egg yolk, worcester sauce, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice and whisk to combine. Mix the olive and vegetable oils together in a jug, then pour a little into the egg yolk mix while whisking fairly vigorously. Keep adding the oil little by little. You’ll end up with a loose vinaigrette. Stir in the cheeses. Add more sea salt and black pepper to taste.Step 3
Spread half the dressing on a platter. Tear the chicken into small pieces and toss with the other half of the dressing, then lay on the platter. Add the chicory to the bowl you used for the chicken, sprinkle over the remaining lemon juice and some sea salt, and toss, picking up some of the dressing still in the bowl. Layer the chicory on the chicken. Serve sprinkled with parsley and the croutons.