The Ultimate Summer Caesar Salad

Hi all – it’s Chef Scott here!

When the weather warms up, few dishes hit the spot quite like a great Caesar salad. Crisp leaves, crunchy croutons, silky dressing and perfectly cooked chicken make it one of my absolute favourites, and today I’m sharing my own take on this timeless classic.

Caesar salad is one of my absolute favourites and when the weather is hot I want something light but delicious. This is a textural adventure, giant chewy sour dough croutes, crispy chicken skin, soft iberian ham, crunchy leaves and a perfect egg. I could eat this every day of the week.

Like I always say, think of the recipe more as a blueprint than a strict set of rules. You don’t need to break down a chicken , just buy a couple fillets . If you have leftovers this is great with roast chicken or just make it veggie if you prefer. You can replace the Iberian ham with bacon or leave it out entirely.

You could source a bottle of store-bought Caesar dressing, but learning how to build a proper emulsion from scratch is a great tool for your repertoire. I know anchovies can be divisive but for me they are utterly delicious and essential. By blending them into the base of the dressing they provide an amazing umami hit and season the leaves perfectly. If that’s not for you, that’s okay.

In making this emulsion you are essentially jamming millions of tiny oil droplets into a small amount of liquid until they can barely move. If you find the blender or your whisk has made the dressing too thick to pour, don’t panic—just add a splash or two of water to let it down a bit until it’s perfectly glossy.

Recipe: Scott’s Ultimate Caesar Salad

Ever wondered why restaurant Caesar salads taste so good? The secret lies in the dressing. Learning to create a proper emulsion gives you a rich, glossy dressing packed with flavour, while a few simple techniques turn everyday ingredients into something really special.

Ingredients:

For the Salad

• 2 skin-on chicken breasts
• 2 large handfuls of fresh lettuce leaves (a crunchy mix works great, but fresh, crisp leaves like Cos or Romaine are best)
• Handful of mini San Marzano tomatoes, halved
• 6–8 thin slices of high-quality Spanish cured ham (Jamón Ibérico), brought to room temperature
• 2 large eggs (straight from the fridge)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

For the Croutons

• 2 thick slices sourdough bread, cut into cubes or torn into rustic pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of your favourite dried herbs
• 2 tbsp rendered chicken fat (or extra olive oil)
• Flaky sea salt

For the Golden Rapeseed Dressing

• 2 egg yolks
• 3–4 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 1 large garlic clove, grated
• 1½ tsp Dijon mustard
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 150–200ml high-quality Scottish rapeseed oil
• 3 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
• Splash of Worcestershire sauce
• Cracked black pepper

Method:

1. Prep the foundations: Trim any excess fatty skin pieces from your chicken breasts and render them down in a warm pan to harvest the chicken fat. Remove the Jamón Ibérico from the fridge so it can come to room temperature.
2. Cook the eggs: Bring a pan of water to the boil and gently lower in the cold eggs. Cook for exactly 7 minutes before transferring immediately to iced or cold water. Peel and set aside.
3. Make the croutons: Toss the sourdough with olive oil, dried herbs and a pinch of salt. Fry in the rendered chicken fat over a medium heat, tossing regularly until deeply golden and crisp.
4. Prepare the dressing: Add the anchovies, garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and egg yolks to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Pour in the rapeseed oil and blend again for 4–5 seconds until thick and emulsified. If the dressing becomes too thick, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until glossy. Stir through the grated Parmesan.
5. Cook the chicken: Pat the chicken skin dry and season well with salt. Place skin-side down into a cold, dry frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook for 8–10 minutes until the skin is crisp. Turn over and cook for a further 2–3 minutes before resting for 5 minutes.
6. Assemble the salad: Toss the lettuce leaves generously in the Caesar dressing and arrange on serving plates. Add the tomatoes, crispy croutons, sliced chicken, halved eggs and Jamón Ibérico. Finish with a generous grating of Parmesan before serving.

Scott’s Ultimate Caesar Salad – crisp leaves, crispy chicken, homemade Caesar dressing, jammy eggs and golden sourdough croutons.

We hope you enjoy recreating this delicious Caesar salad at home. If it inspires you to discover even more regional recipes, why not join me on one of our Flavours cooking holidays? From hands-on lessons with local chefs to unforgettable meals shared with fellow guests, there’s no better way to experience the joy of cooking.