This dish followed a recipe by Nagi Haemashi from her Tin Eats website, with a couple of variations.
First, I made the dressing as specified, maybe a bit more anchovy than stated, amounts adjusted for one serving – and it was perfect. Set aside.
I grilled three chicken tenderloins in a skillet over medium-high heat (love that cross-hatched effect), then sliced them bite size. Set aside to cool.
In the same pan, I fried the bacon over a low-medium heat, letting it crisp up nicely, then chopped it up. I used short cut bacon to reduce the fat content. Set aside.
For the croutons, I had half a leftover diamond shaped sourdough roll, so I sliced that in half horizontally, toasted the two halves in the taoster and chopped the result into crouton shaped cubed. Lovely and crunchy, without having to bake them. I didn’t bother with the garlic, there was tons in the sauce. Set aside.
I put the chopped lettuce (I used gem), adjusting the amount for one (large) serving, into a medium sized bowl. I added three quarters of the chicken pieces, bacon and croutons, then poured the sauce over and mixed it all thoroughly.
I poached one egg in a small saucepan with 8mm of gently boiling water with a tablespoon of white vinegar for 3-4 minutes (tip: crack the egg into a very small bowl or ramekin, then slide it into the water).
I put the salad mix into a serving bowl and placed the remaining chicken, bacon and croutons on top, then grated pecorino cheese on top.
I scooped the egg out of the pan with a slotted spoon, put that on top of the salad, and broke the yoke open to run over the salad.
Result: divine!
Incidentally, I’m well aware this is not the classic Caesar Salad. I had the extremely good fortune to have one of those prepared for me at the table in La Paz many years ago, at the other end of the Baja Peninsula from where it was invented in Tijuana, Mexico. This recipe elevates that dish from a side salad to a main course.