Caesar Salad Spears
I love cooking for large groups and parties, but I’m not super wild about spending all my time in the kitchen instead of mingling with friends and family—hor d’oeuvres to the rescue! Finger-food usually has minimal prep (or you can do most—if not all—of it ahead of time), and is fairly simple, allowing you to enjoy the festivities with your guests. Plus, when you serve a bunch of little 1-2 bite foods, people get to try a whole bunch of yummy stuff!
What I love about this recipe is that you get to take something that is not typically thought of as finger-food—salad—and make it into a two-bite appetizer that would be perfect for any cocktail party!
The slightly bitter, crunchy endive becomes a holding vessel for a tangy, creamy caesar filled with plenty of homemade croutons, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. It’s a fast, easy, and fresh party food that is both super delicious, and fairly healthy!
Caesar Salad Spears
recipe from here
makes roughly 5 dozen spears
ingredients:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups 1/4-inche diced white bread
- 3 anchovy fillets
- zest from 1/2 lemon
- 2-3 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, + more for garnish
- 7 heads Belgian endive
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the bread cubes and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden.
- In the same bowl, mash the anchovies into a paste with the garlic and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayo, lemon juice, lemon zest, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in 1/4 cup grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Trim the endives and remove 60 of the largest leaves and set aside. Thinly slice the remaining endive, and toss that with the dressing.
- Spoon the salad onto each spear, and garnish with the croutons and some more cheese. Serve immediately.
