Hail, Caesar… & Louis & Victor - Recipe

SEVEN MAIN-DISH SALADS THAT STILL RULE THE WEST

Italy perfected pasta. France transformed sauces. The American West taught the world how to make a grand salad.

* In the early days of the last century as more and more people populated the West, inspiration was right outside the kitchen door in one form or another: fields of greens stretching under sunny skies, seafood just plucked from the ocean, orchards dotted with lemons, a year-round supply of fresh herbs--in many regions, all of the above.

* Some of the world's best-known salads were born then. A few came to the fore through a famous person, place, or event, and those legends live on. Others rose to fame more obscurely, shared from one home kitchen to the next.

* Today these classic salads are in as fine a form as ever: Our choice of fresh ingredients just keeps getting better. We've learned to use seasonings with a bolder hand. And we expect our dishes to be as pleasing to look at as they are to eat.

* A whole meal of salad--it's a natural here, We salute the cooks--both famous and unknown--behind the concept.

Caesar

Tijuana, Mexico, July 4, 1924, Caesar's Place: As the restaurant fills with holiday diners, Italian-born chef and restaurant owner Caesar Cardini runs short on ingredients for the day's salad. He improvises with what's on hand: romaine leaves, parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, a raw egg, Worcestershire (anchovies came later), and croutons. The salad's a hit with the Hollywood set who frequent Cardini's restaurant, and they take their reverence for Caesar back home.

Served plain or topped with everything from grilled chicken to fried ginger, the salad has become a hallmark of California cuisine. Here we return Caesar to its simple roots, but build it on a grand scale as befits a legend. To alleviate concerns about bacteria, we've eliminated the raw egg; a quick buzz in the blender emulsifies the classic components into a creamy dressing.

Stacked Caesar Salad with Parmesan Rafts

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: This salad is dramatic when made with whole inner romaine lettuce leaves (often sold as "romaine hearts"), but you can substitute 4 quarts bite-size pieces of romaine; in step 5, arrange the parmesan curls on top of the mixed salad. To make the curls, pull a vegetable peeler across the block of cheese.

MAKES: 4 to 6 main-dish servings

1 sourdough baguette (about 2 in. wide; 8 to 12 oz).

About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/3 cups finely shredded parmesan cheese (about 1/4 lb.)

1/3 cup lemon juice

9 canned anchovy fillets, drained

4 teaspoons minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper About 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 quarts tender inner romaine lettuce leaves (max. 8 in. long, 1 1/3 lb. total; see notes), rinsed and crisped

1 cup parmesan cheese curls (each about 3 in. long and 1 in. wide, 3 oz. total; see notes)

1. To make parmesan rafts, cut baguette into diagonal slices 1/4 inch thick and 4 to 6 inches long. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with olive oil, using 3 to 4 tablespoons total. Arrange in a single layer in 2 shallow 12- by 17-inch baking pans.

2. Bake in a 325[degrees] regular or convection oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle slices evenly with 1 cup shredded parmesan. Bake until cheese is melted and bread is golden, 10 to 12 minutes longer.

3. In a blender or food processor, whirl 9 tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.

4. Place lettuce in a large bowl and parmesan rafts in another. Drizzle 2/3 of the dressing over lettuce and remaining 1/3 over rafts. Mix rafts to coat with dressing; with your hands or two spoons, gently lift and mix lettuce to coat.

5. Divide 1/3 of the lettuce equally among dinner plates, arranging all leaves on each plate in the same direction, Arrange 1/3 of the parmesan rafts equally on top, at right angles to leaves, and add 1/3 of the parmesan curls. Repeat to layer remaining lettuce, rafts, and curls. Season salads to taste with more salt.

Per serving: 521 cal., 67% (351 cal.) from fat; 208 protein; 39g fat (108 sat.); 25 g carbo (2.8 g fiber); 1,23.1 mg sodium; 28 mg chol.

Crab Louis

Whoever Louis (or Louie) was--no one's quite sure--the Hotel St. Francis in San Francisco was serving his addictive combination of Dungeness crab, iceberg lettuce, and chili-mayo dressing in 1910.

The greens in our updated version reflect the broader choices now available. And zesty salsa and smoky chipotle chilies replace the chili sauce for a more interesting interplay of flavors. But a little mountain of sweet, fresh crab--a far dearer component now than a century ago--still crowns the dish.

Deviled Crab Louis

PREP TIME: About 1 1/4 hours

NOTES: You can shred the lettuce up to 1 day ahead; chill airtight.

MAKES: 4 main-dish servings

8 romaine or iceberg lettuce leaves (10 in. long), rinsed and crisped

1 head Belgian endive (white or red; 3 oz.), leaves separated, rinsed, and crisped