Italian Caesar Salad With Polenta Croutons

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• vegetable oil (for deep frying)
• 2 cups basic polenta
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 tablespoons unsalted margarine
• 3 small head romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise (or 2 large heads)
• 1/2 cup drained sun-dried tomato packed in oil, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (we used walnuts)
• 1 1/2 ounces shaved parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 make the polenta: (make first).
• 2 bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan.
• 3 add salt.
• 4 gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
• 5 reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• 6 turn off the heat.
• 7 add the butter, and stir until melted.
• 8 lightly oil a half sheet pan.
• 9 transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to 3/4-inch thick.
• 10 refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.
• 11 make the dressing:.
• 12 finely chop the garlic and anchovies in a food processor.
• 13 blend in the lemon juice and mustard.
• 14 with the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.
• 15 season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• 16 to make croutons:
• 17 cut the polenta into 3/4-inch cubes.
• 18 pat the polenta cubes dry with paper towels.
• 19 add enough vegetable oil to a heavy large frying pan to come 1-inch up the sides of the pan.
• 20 heat the oil over high heat.
• 21 working in batches of 10, carefully add the polenta cubes to the oil 1 at a time and fry until golden brown, stirring to keep the cubes separate, about 2 minutes.
• 22 using a slotted spoon, transfer the polenta croutons to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.
• 23 (the dressing and polenta croutons can be prepared 1 day ahead up to this point.
• 24 cover the dressing and polenta croutons separately and refrigerate.
• 25 rewarm the polenta croutons on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees f oven before serving.)
• 26 make the salad:.
• 27 prepare the barbecue for high heat or grill pan.
• 28 grill the lettuce until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side.
• 29 cut the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
• 30 on a serving platter, mound the grilled chopped lettuce.
• 31 decoratively scatter the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
• 32 drizzle with enough dressing to evenly coat.
• 33 sprinkle parmesan and scatter the warm polenta croutons over and serve immediately.