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Caesar Little Gem Recipe

Little Gem Lettuce leaves hold all the classic flavors of a traditional Caesar salad with a kick of heat to bring it over the top.
Prep Time20 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: appetizers for parties, recipes with little gem lettuce, caesar salad recipes
Servings: 6
Calories: 107kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein

Ingredients

  • about 3 dozen Little Gem Lettuce leaves (about 4 heads, washed and dried)
  • about ½ large egg yolk (see notes)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
  • ¾ teaspoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (use less if you don’t want too much heat)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • about ½ cup breadcrumbs, toasted (see notes)
  • red pepper flakes
  • thinly sliced lemon for garnish

Instructions

  • Spread the leaves out on a serving platter or small plates. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the ½ egg yolk (don’t worry about being exact!), with the lemon juice, anchovy paste, honey, mustard, garlic and cayenne. Whisk until smooth.
  • Then whisking constantly, very slowly, in a steady stream, add the oil. Whisk until smooth and then add the Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here’s How to Season to Taste.) Set aside.
  • Add the bread crumbs to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Shaking the pan every minute or so, cook just until they’re golden, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
  • Drizzle the leaves with the amount of dressing you like — I use a bit more than 1 tablespoon per dozen. Now sprinkle them with the bread crumbs evenly over the leaves. Finish with a sprinkling of the red pepper flakes — I only use a small amount as it will add a lot of heat.
  • Garnish the platter with lemon slices and serve!

Notes

When using raw eggs, make sure they're pasteurized -- I used Safest Choice® Pasteurized Eggs.
I used gluten-free breadcrumbs for my son with Celiac -- you can use any breadcrumbs you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal