Warm Chicken Caesar Salad
- Savory
- Light
- Stovetop
- Oven
Seared chicken breast over crisp romaine with a punchy anchovy-garlic dressing, shaved parmesan and croutons. The lemon goes in at the end to keep everything bright.
- Total
- 35 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 15 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Emulsifying
Instructions
-
Pat the chicken breast dry and season both sides with the salt and black pepper. Zest the lemon into a small bowl, then juice it and set the juice aside.
~5 min
Drying the chicken removes surface moisture so it sears and browns instead of steaming.
-
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles. Sear the chicken breast 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden and the thickest part reaches 74°C/165°F.
~12 min
A hot pan triggers the Maillard reaction, building a savory golden crust while the interior cooks through.
Searing Get the pan properly hot before adding the chicken and leave it undisturbed to develop a golden crust; moving it too soon prevents browning.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the chicken cooks, mash the anchovies and garlic to a paste in the small bowl, then whisk in the remaining 3 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp of the lemon juice. Grate half the parmesan into the dressing and whisk again.
~4 min
Mashing the anchovies and garlic first prevents salty lumps, and whisking oil into the lemon juice emulsifies the dressing so it clings to the leaves.
Mash the anchovies to a smooth paste before whisking so no salty lumps land in one bite; the dressing should taste savory first, then sharp from the lemon.
Emulsifying Whisk the oil into the lemon juice gradually so it disperses into tiny droplets; if it looks greasy, whisk harder before adding more oil.
-
Transfer the chicken to a board and rest it 5 minutes, then slice into 1 cm strips.
~5 min
Resting lets the juices redistribute so they stay in the meat instead of running out onto the board.
-
Tear the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces and spread over two plates. Scatter the croutons over the leaves and shave the remaining parmesan on top.
~4 min
-
Lay the sliced chicken over the salads, spoon the anchovy dressing over everything and finish with the last of the lemon juice to taste.
~3 min
Adding the final lemon juice at the end keeps its bright acidity fresh rather than muted by the rich dressing.
