Grilled Escarole Caesar Salad with White Beans
June 2010
I love beans, greens and a good caesar. This meal combines these three greats into one hot dish.
Makes: 4 servings
- 2 large heads escarole
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- 2 large cloves garlic, 1 grated or finely chopped, 1 halved
- About 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- Juice of 1 large, ripe lemon
- About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
- A generous handful of grated pecorino-romano cheese
- Lots of pepper
- Olive oil cooking spray
- A few grates of nutmeg
- Ciabatta bread, sliced
- 5 large eggs, hard-boiled, then chopped (see tip)
- 1 15 ouncecan cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high. Fill the sink with water. Trim the escarole but leave the heads intact, then swish the escarole heads vigorously. Halve the heads and dry them with kitchen towels.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the anchovy paste, grated or chopped garlic, worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Whisk in about 1/2 cup EVOO, the cheese and pepper.
- Coat the escarole lightly with the cooking spray and grill, turning once, until wilted and grill marks appear, about 5 minutes. Season the escarole halves with a little nutmeg and drizzle the anchovy dressing on top, or chop to mix thoroughly with the dressing.
- Char the bread slices on the grill, on the grill pan or under a hot broiler. Rub with the halved garlic and drizzle with EVOO. Chop the bread.
- Arrange the eggs and the cannellini beans over the halved escarole or toss with the chopped escarole. Serve with the bread.
Tip
- You can pick up hard-boiled eggs at deli counters and salad bars; chop and reserve them. Or place raw eggs in a small pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. When the eggs come to a full boil, cover the pan and turn off the heat; let stand for 10 minutes. Run the eggs under cold water as you crack them. Let stand for a minute to loosen the shells, then peel and chop the eggs.