SPROUTED CAESAR
Brussels sprouts pack nutrition into classic Caesar salad
If you love Brussels sprouts like I do, you will love this salad.
If you aren’t sure but you are a fan of Caesar salad, then you will probably love it too!
I’ve switched out chopped Brussels sprouts for the romaine lettuce in a classic Caesar salad and subbed toasted bread crumb for the classic croutons. This way, every bite has the crunchy, buttery flavour of a crouton and you don’t need to root around in your bowl for one.
If you prefer to shred or slice your Brussels sprouts, that will work as well but I find the smaller the piece, the better because raw Brussels sprouts are a little tough and dense. This isn’t the prettiest salad but the flavour is all there and it is a great way to up the nutrient value of a Caesar salad.
This salad has essentially only three ingredients, so it is important to use the best quality ingredients you can find, and make the dressing from scratch. To make it as easy as possible, I’ve switched out the traditional whisking and mincing method in favour of making the dressing in a blender. That way, it’s as easy as making a smoothie.
You put the dressing ingredients in the blender — I use a smoothie cup — and in about 30 seconds, you have a perfectly emulsified creamy homemade Caesar dressing!
I like to use whole anchovies that are packed in a tin of oil, but if you are a little squeamish, you could use anchovy paste. Don’t be tempted to omit the anchovies; they make all the difference in the world. Once the dressing is blended, you won’t even know that they are there, but their contribution to its flavour is huge.
The other important part of the dressing is the egg. A friend who considers himself a so-called Caesar salad king told me that in his opinion, it isn’t really Caesar salad dressing without the egg to give it richness. I concurred and this recipe calls for a coddled egg (a gently and barely cooked one) instead of a raw egg.
If you have never coddled an egg before, don’t worry. It’s beyond easy. All you do is boil a small pot of water, place an egg on a spoon like you are dyeing Easter eggs, and hold it in the water for 40 to 60 seconds. Immediately following, you plunge it into a cold water bath to stop the cooking. The result is a coddled egg that’s perfect for making Caesar salad dressing. The short amount of cooking time in boiling water is said to kill any bacteria from the raw egg.
Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Salad:
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, stemmed and chopped 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Toasted bread crumbs (recipe follows)
Dressing (makes about 1 cup):
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt 1⁄2 tsp fresh ground pepper 3-5 peeled garlic cloves 3 anchovies or 2 generous tsp anchovy paste 1 generous tablespoon strong Dijon mustard 1 coddled egg Juice of a lemon, about 1⁄4 cup 2 generous tsp Worcestershire sauce 1⁄2 cup olive oil, plus more if needed
Toasted bread crumbs (makes about 2 cups):
1⁄4 unsliced loaf stale bread (I love leftover brioche), grated 1 tbsp unsalted butter 1⁄4 tsp fine-grain salt
Start to finish: 20 minutes Clean and trim the Brussels sprouts and chop by hand or in a food processor. They should be diced. Set aside.
Make the dressing by first coddling an egg. Boil water in a small pot and once it is boiling, place a raw refrigerated egg on a spoon and lower into the water for 40 to 60 seconds. Immediately place the egg on the spoon in cold water and let it sit until you need it.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a small blender or smoothie cup. Add the egg and purée according to your machine’s instructions until the mixture is fully emulsified and creamy. Only add more oil if it is too thin. Season to taste. Set aside.
Toast the bread crumbs on the stove top in a large skillet. Melt the butter and add the salt. Swirl it around so it coats the entire pan. Sprinkle the bread crumb on top and stir with a silicone spatula occasionally, moving the toasted bits to the top and the untoasted bits to the bottom until all are crisp and toasted. This will take about 15 minutes.
Assemble the salad by mixing the chopped Brussels sprouts with the grated cheese. Next add about ½ cup of dressing and mix well. Season with a few grinds of black pepper and a few grinds of sea salt. Mix well and taste. You may need to add a little more dressing.
I like to make this salad up to this stage and refrigerate it for a few hours or even overnight to let the flavours marry. Top with the toasted bread crumb and mix well just before eating. You want each bite to include the crunchy bread crumb as this balances the raw Brussels sprouts and the Caesar dressing.
Per serving: 264 calories (180, or 68 per cent from fat); 20 grams fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 63 milligrams cholesterol; 615 mg sodium; 15 g carbohydrate; 4 g fibre; 3 g sugar; 8 g protein