I think Caesar salad and chorizo are a match made in heaven! But to be honest, I think most anything paired with chorizo is heavenly. Contrary to what you might expect, the spiciness in this salad isn’t solely from the chorizo. Caesar dressing itself is spicy thanks to the raw garlic. Raw garlic offers up a different kind of spiciness than that of things like hot peppers. The spiciness that raw garlic relinquishes is more gentle, warmth rather than a fiery intense heat. But, for spicy reassurance, I’ve added a little sprinkling of cayenne pepper to my dressing. Cayenne pepper adds a fiery kick, but keep it out if you’d like. You can even substitute the chorizo for chicken. Then again, why would you ever want to?
Spicy Caesar Salad
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 teaspoons coarse-grain dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the salad:
- 12 ounces fresh spicy Spanish chorizo, cut 1/4″ pieces
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
- 4 medium-sized heads of Romaine lettuce, washed and cut 1 1/2″ thick crosswise
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Start by making the dressing. To make the dressing, place all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil and Parmesan into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process the ingredients, until smooth. Then, while the machine still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The dressing will be thick. Add the Parmesan and pulse several times to incorporate. Set the dressing aside while you prepare the rest of the salad.
Add the chorizo to a dry large saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan gets to a steady sizzle and the chorizo begins to ooze out some of it’s oil, add the tomatoes and continue to sauté until the chorizo is cooked through and the tomatoes have begun to blister, which should take about 4-5 minutes. Remove the chorizo and tomatoes to a paper towel lined plate.
Meanwhile, place the lettuce in a large salad bowl. Drizzle on half of the dressing and toss to coat the leaves. Scatter on the crunchy-skined chorizo and blistery tomatoes. Drizzle on additional dressing if desired. Top with Parmesan and enjoy!
Notes
To make this ahead, you can prepare the dressing early in the day and store it covered in the fridge until ready to use.