Molly Baz's Cae Sal Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Tear 1/2 of a baguette into irregular 1-inch pieces; you should end up with about 3 cups of torn bread. Toss on a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few good cranks of black pepper until well coated. Bake until deeply golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool.

Step 2

Separate the yolks and whites of 2 large eggs. Place the yolks in a large bowl (where you'll build your dressing) and reserve the whites for another use.

Step 3

Finely grate 1 garlic clove and the lemon zest into the large bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Finely chop 4 anchovies, then mash them to a paste, using the side of a chef's knife until homogeneous; add to the large bowl.

Step 4

Add 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and whisk everything to combine. Place a damp kitchen towel underneath the bowl to stabilize it so it doesn't slip 'n' slide all over the place as you whisk in the oil. Starting with a very thin stream at first, whisking constantly as you go, incorporate 1/2 cup of canola oil into the yolk mixture until it is thick, creamy, and pale yellow.

Step 5

Whisk in 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, Worcestershire sauce and 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup).

Step 6

Taste the dressing on a leaf of romaine — it should be salty, cheesy and lemony. Make any adjustments necessary until it tastes so good that you'd be happy eating a bowl of it alone with aside of croutons.

Step 7

Tear the leaves of 4 romaine hearts into 2-inch pieces and transfer them to the bowl of dressing. Squeeze the juice of half of the lemon over the romaine, season with salt and toss the leaves to coat, avoiding incorporating any of the dressing beneath just yet. It's always a good idea to preseason your greens with some acid and salt so they are zippy and zingy and hold up to the dressing. The lettuce contains water, which is going to dilute the flavor of the dressing, so you'll always need a little extra acid to combat that.

Step 8

Add the croutons and gently toss the lettuce with your hands until well coated. Add 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) and toss again. Divide among plates and top with more grated Parmesan and black pepper.