Smoked Oyster Caesar

Smoked Oyster Caesar

Info

Rating
Calories
329.0
Protein
6.0
Sodium
993.0
Fat
26.0

Description

I get a lot of inspiration from staring at the supermarket shelves, and seeing what items are grouped together. I made this recipe because I found the smoked oysters next to the anchovies in the canned fish section and decided to try them out instead in my Caesar dressing. Once I did that, I decided to riff on the croutons a bit too. In this recipe, the smoky oysters complement the rich egg yolks, which in turn get cut by a healthy dose of lemon juice. Do you like other canned fishies? All are good Caesar salad material, providing they are packed in oil, which amps up their flavor almost to a condiment level of oomph. If you want to get real crazy, find the canned seafood section in an ethnic market.

Ingredients

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3.7-ounce can smoked oysters packed in oil
2 cups oyster crackers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
4 romaine hearts, bases removed and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

  1. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, or in a blender, pulse the egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and Worcestershire until thoroughly combined. With the machine running, add the vegetable oil very slowly to make an emulsified dressing.
  2. Drain the oysters from their oil, reserving 1 tablespoon of the oil for the croutons. Add the drained oysters to the dressing and pulse until smooth.
  3. Combine crackers, olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper with the reserved tablespoon of oyster oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing often, until the crackers are toasty. Set aside to cool.
  4. Put a spoonful of the dressing directly onto each plate. Place a romaine heart half, face up, on the dressing, and drizzle with additional dressing. Top with croutons, cracked black pepper and cheese.
  5. Dressing can be made up to 7 days ahead. Pour into a container and keep chilled.