Chicken Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons
This perennially popular salad is given a twist with the use of baked polenta to make crunchy croutons that provide extra texture to complement the succulence of the chicken and the freshness of the lettuce.
Ingredients
- 2 tbs light olive oil
- 1 pinch rock salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 2 heads lettuce, washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 225g prepared polenta, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 225g cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 85g romano cheese, finely grated
For the dressing
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 3 tbs good-quality mayonnaise
- 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 tbs parmesan cheese, finely grated (save 1 tbs to serve)
- 1 pinch caster sugar
Method
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the polenta and season with 1/2 teaspoon of rock salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, turning over the polenta cubes occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- For the dressing, place all the ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor and pulse until emulsified into a thick and creamy dressing. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a large bowl and blend well with a hand-held blender. Season with pepper, mix well to combine, and set aside.
- Place the lettuce, chicken, and cheese in a large bowl and toss lightly to combine. Drizzle over the dressing, a little at a time, and toss until well coated. Arrange the salad on a serving dish and scatter over the polenta croutons. Sprinkle over some Parmesan and serve immediately.
