Craving a salad in mid Winter, I dreamed up this warm sort of version of a Caesar”ish” salad. It is missing anchovies and garlic, but is strong on the lemon Parmigiano component. Pan searing the romaine gives it a sweet, nutty flavor that I adore
- 1 large head of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and trimmed slightly, leaving core in tact and sliced in half horizontally through the core
- 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1/8 cup freshly grated Reggiano Parmigiano cheese (use a microplane)
- Heat the oil in a heavy cast iron pan on medium heat until hot, but not smoking.
- Season the Romaine with salt and pepper and place it cut side down in the hot pan. Allow lettuce to cook for several minutes until it is starting to brown well on the cut side.
- Flip the Romaine halves onto the opposite side and allow to cook until it begins to get a nice nutty brown color. Continue cooking and flipping, until the lettuce starts to wilt, turn golden brown and become tender. You can check doneness by color and also by piercing the core with the tip of a sharp knife. It is done when the knife slips in easily without resistance.
- Transfer Romaine to a serving platter, pour the lemon juice over the cut side evenly and sprinkle the cheese directly onto the hot Romaine, which will start to melt on contact.
- Serve immediately.
Serve 2
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