Texas Roadhouse Chicken Caesar Salad

Home reconstruction

A steakhouse Caesar is not really a different salad. It is a standard Caesar with two things done properly that most home versions skip: the chicken is marinated and grilled rather than pan-fried plain, and the croutons are made from real bread, not from a bag.

Fix those two and the rest is a Caesar.

The chicken

This is where most of the difference sits. A steakhouse marinates chicken breast before it goes on the grill, which does two things — seasons it through rather than just on the surface, and keeps it from drying out over direct heat.

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Mix, coat the chicken, and leave it at least 30 minutes — two hours is better, overnight is fine.

Butterfly the breasts or bash them to an even thickness before marinating. A chicken breast is twice as thick at one end as the other, and grilling it whole means the thin end is dry before the thick end is safe.

Grill 5–6 minutes a side over medium-high, until 74°C / 165°F at the thickest point. Rest 5 minutes before slicing, across the grain.

The croutons

Bagged croutons are the single biggest giveaway in a home Caesar.

• 4 thick slices of day-old bread, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp salt

Toss, spread on a tray, and bake at 190°C / 375°F for 10–12 minutes, turning once. Tear rather than cut — torn edges catch more oil and crisp unevenly, which is what you want.

Texas Roadhouse serves rolls with cinnamon butter; if you have leftovers, they make unusually good croutons. Slightly sweet, and it works.

The dressing

• 2 egg yolks (or 3 tbsp mayonnaise for a no-raw-egg version)
• 4 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 150 ml olive oil
• 40 g parmesan, finely grated
• black pepper

Whisk everything except the oil, then add the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Stir in the parmesan.

Do not skip the anchovies. They are what makes it a Caesar rather than a garlic mayonnaise, and they do not taste of fish in the finished dressing — they taste of savoury depth. A Caesar without them is noticeably flat and most people cannot say why.

Assembling

1. 1. Chop romaine into wide ribbons. Dry it thoroughly — wet leaves will not hold dressing and you get a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
2. 2. Toss the leaves with just enough dressing to coat. Less than you think.
3. 3. Add croutons and toss once more.
4. 4. Lay the sliced chicken on top rather than mixing it through.
5. 5. Shave parmesan over, and grind black pepper.

Storing

Assembled Caesar does not keep at all — the croutons soften within twenty minutes.

The components keep separately: dressing three days in the fridge, croutons a week in a tin, cooked chicken three days.