Prep
40 min
Serves
2
Everyone knows and loves Caesar salad, but have you tried this version?
Chef Trevor Lui shares a twist on the classic Caesar salad by adding traditional Chinese flavours to the recipe that make for a delicious dish. Swap your romaine for gai lan (Chinese broccoli), bacon bits for lap cheung (Chinese sausage), anchovies for fish sauce, and your croutons for tofu puffs, and you have a flavourful salad with crunch in every bite! You’ll never eat Caesar salad the same again!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 partially cored romaine hearts
- 1 cup blanched gai lan (Chinese broccoli) stems trimmed and cut on bias
- 1 cup tofu puffs quartered and flash fried
- 1 link lap cheung (Chinese sausage) diced small or bias sliced
- 2 large hard boiled eggs yolks and whites separated
- 1 tbsp grated parmigiano reggiano
Dressing
- 3 tbsp mayonaise
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 tsp black pepper
METHOD
- For dressing, combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk vigorously. Chill or leave off to the side. Activate again by stirring just prior to use.
- Slice/dice lap cheung link, fry in pan until crisp, remove and drain on lined tray or plate. Flash fry cut tofu puffs until they are crispy, remove immediately and drain on lined tray or plate.
- Loosely chop egg whites, fine chop egg yolks. Blanch gai lan until bright green, remove and soak in ice bath to shock vegetables. Drain and pat dry.
- In a mixing bowl, add gai lan and toss with half the dressing, adding half of the crisp lap cheung and egg whites and yolks.
- On chosen plate, lay out romaine hearts symmetrically, drizzle/spoon remaining dressing over leaves. Add gai lan evenly over the romaine hearts. Garnish with remaining lap cheung, egg whites, egg yolks, tofu puff croutons and lastly, shaved parmigiano.
Tip: Add protein of grilled chicken or shrimp to make this dish an entrée.