Fried Meyer Lemon Ceasar Salad Recipe
Fried Lemon Caesar Salad is full of beautiful fried lemon slices and makes for a delicious Caesar salad with a unique, fun twist. It's a lovely appetizer salad, and you can add chicken and turn it into a hearty main course.*Please note that the "prep time" does not include making the croutons -- click croutons in the ingredient list for those instructions.
Servings: 6
Calories: 289kcal
Ingredients
For the fried lemons
- 2 lemons (preferably Meyer lemons)
- salt, granulated sugar and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
For the dressing
- 5 anchovies, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 3 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and dried, roughly chopped
- 2 cups Lemon-Garlic Croutons (click here for the recipe)
- 1 cup Parmesan, shaved
Instructions
For the fried lemons
- Wash, dry, and thinly slice the lemons -- placing them on a large plate as you go. You should get about 8 slices per lemon, and they should be about ⅛-inch thick.
- Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil, place it over medium-high heat. While the pan is preheating, sprinkle both sides of the lemon slices with salt, pepper and sugar. This should be a light sprinkling, but enough to season each slice well.
- Once the pan is very hot, add the lemon slices and sauté until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 minute. Use a tiny spatula to gently flip the slices, and brown the other side, about 30 seconds. Place the sautéed lemons slices on a plate to cool. Set aside.
- Once cooled, cut each sautéd lemon slice into fourths -- you can stack a few at a time to do this. Set aside.
For the dressing
- In a small bowl, combine the anchovies, garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. Mix to blend. Gradually, pour in the oil, whisking all the while to blend it evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
For the salad
- In a large salad bowl, mix the lettuce with the Lemon-Garlic Croutons, Parmesan and the fried lemons.
- Just before you're ready to serve, toss the salad with the dressing.
Nutrition
Calories: 289kcal