Chicken Caesar Toasts Recipes

Steps:

• This is another example of the rewards of culinary recycling. Of course, frying up croutons doesn't take very long, but my tortilla-chip version feels stresslessy instant. I think of it as a quick time variant, mainly because I make my Caesar with croutons of roast cubed garlicky potatoes - and very well it goes down, too. If you prefer, you could, fattoush-style, replace the tortilla chips with pita bread, which you split, toast, then break into shards. People can be awfully tiresome about anchovies (not that the rusty strips of something salty left to die on pizzas are what anchovies can truly taste of) and, anyway, they are not actually part of the original Caesar, so I haven't listed them below. However, in the interests of transparency I should tell you that I do add them to my own Quick Caesar when ransacking the kitchen to assemble this. I either mush one or two pinky brown fillets up in the dressing, or if I have some of those silvery marinated anchovies, like slim sardines, I just toss them in with the chicken.
• Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk well, as you add the oils, Parmesan and lemon juice. If you're not going to add an anchovy or two, whisk in the salt. Break the crisp lettuce into bite-sized pieces and add to a salad bowl. Drop in the shredded cold chicken and mix to combine. Season with pepper, to taste. Toast the tortilla chips for a couple of minutes in an oil-less frying pan over medium heat. Give the dressing another whisk, pour it over the salad, and toss to mix. Add the tortilla chips (and some anchovies if you like) and toss again before wolfing down.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Mince garlic in a food processor or blender. With motor running, slowly add 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Continue to process for about 30 seconds, then strain oil through a fine-mesh strainer. Add 2/3 of the garlic back into the oil, and reserve remaining garlic for the dressing.
• Arrange bread on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Brush garlic oil over bread. Toast until crisp and golden, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, lemon zest and 2 Tbs. lemon juice, Worcestershire, grated Parmesan, and reserved garlic in a small bowl. (It can be covered and refrigerated for several hours.)
• When ready to serve, toss dressing with chicken; season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss salad with remaining 2 tsps. of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle in remaining 1 Tb. lemon juice; toss again. Top each toast with a portion of greens, chicken and a Parmesan shaving. (Toasts can stand uncovered for up to 2 hours.)

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Stir the butter, grated garlic and Italian seasoning in a small bowl until combined. Use a rolling pin to flatten out each slice of bread. Trim the edges to remove the crusts and make each slice into a 3-inch square. Brush both sides of each slice with the butter mixture. Press one slice into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, so that the bread is completely covering the bottom and the corners are coming up the sides of the cup.
• Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan 15 minutes, then transfer the crouton cups to a rack to cool completely; they will crisp up as they cool.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave 12 small Parmesan curls onto a small plate. Finely grate the remaining Parmesan (you will need 3 tablespoons) and set aside.
• Mound the anchovies, chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon salt on a cutting board. Using the side of a chef's knife, mash and chop the anchovies and garlic until well combined, then continue to work the mixture, holding the knife blade at an angle, until a smooth paste forms.
• Whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard together in a medium bowl. Adding drop by drop to start and whisking constantly, drizzle a few drops of oil into the yolk mixture. Continue, going slowly, until all the oil has been used and the mixture looks thick and creamy. Add the anchovy mixture and the grated Parmesan and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
• Toss the lettuce, chicken and half of the dressing in a large bowl, then taste and add additional dressing if desired. Mound some salad inside each crouton cup, then top each with a Parmesan curl and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the skin from the chicken and set aside. Cover the chicken with cling film and bash out to flatten slightly, then put in a large bowl with half of the lemon juice, 1 garlic clove, a drizzle of oil and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
• If you're making the crackling, lay the chicken skin on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and sprinkle with sea salt. Put another piece of baking parchment on top, then weigh it down with a baking tray. Roast for 25-30 mins until crisp and golden.
• Meanwhile, trim the crusts off the sourdough and tear the centre into pieces. Tip onto a baking tray, drizzle with the rest of the olive oil and finely grate over 15g of the parmesan. Toss everything together so the bread is completely coated in oil and cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-25 mins with the crackling (if making), tossing a few times, until golden and crunchy. The croutons and crackling can be prepared a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• For the dressing, use a pestle and mortar to crush the remaining garlic to a paste, then mash in the anchovies. Spoon into a bowl and finely grate in 10g parmesan, then add the remaining lemon juice, mayo and mustard. Gradually stir in 4 tbsp oil. Can be made three hrs ahead.
• Heat a griddle pan until smoking. Griddle the chicken for 4-5 mins on each side until just cooked, then set aside. Trim and discard any limp outside lettuce leaves and trim the rest into bite-sized lengths. Slice the chicken into pieces and use a peeler to shave the remaining parmesan, grating the final stump that can't be shaved.
• To serve, tip the lettuce, croutons, chicken and cheese into a large salad bowl and drizzle with most of the dressing. Toss everything together well (the easiest way is with your hands), then drizzle with more dressing, scatter with the crackling and serve.

Steps:

• Position one oven rack 4 to 5 inches below the heat source (leave the other rack in the center of the oven) and preheat the broiler. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.
• Make the Caesar dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil.
• Brush the cut sides of the romaine hearts with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Place them, cut side up, on the sheet pan. Broil the romaine hearts until they are slightly wilted and lightly browned, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Toss the chicken with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the mustard, and thyme. Place the breasts and the bread slices on the sheet pan and roast in the center of the oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the center of the chicken registers 160°F and the bread is toasted, 8 to 9 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Let it rest 5 minutes before cutting it across into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place the chicken and toasts on the platter with the romaine; drizzle with the dressing and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Steps:

• To make the dressing, put the anchovies in a small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, garlic and egg, then blitz with a stick blender until well mixed. Gradually add the oil in a thin stream until it thickens into a creamy dressing. Stir in the Parmesan, season and chill until ready to serve.
• For the chicken, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat 1 tbsp chopped tarragon with the butter and anchovies, then rub it under the breast skin of the chicken. Rub any remainder all over the bird and roast for 1 hr until the chicken is golden and nearly cooked. After 1 hr, add the asparagus and beans to the roasting tin around the chicken. Cook for 12 mins, then scatter the peas over and cook for another 3 mins until the chicken is cooked through, the vegetables are tender and the peas are hot.
• Meanwhile, put the croutons on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 10 mins until golden and crisp.
• Scatter the chicken and vegetables with the croutons and tarragon sprigs, and spoon over a little dressing. Serve the rest of the dressing separately.

Steps:

• For marinade, in a large bowl, mix lemon juice and dressing; remove 2 tablespoons mixture for potatoes. Add chicken to remaining marinade; turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate chicken and reserved marinade 4 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken on center of a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan; discard chicken marinade. Toss potatoes and carrots with reserved marinade and seasonings; arrange around chicken., Roast until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 170°-175° and potatoes are tender, 30-40 minutes.

Steps:

• Cover 4 plates with lettuce.
• Top with all remaining ingredients except dressing.
• Drizzle with dressing just before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Boil about 4 cups of water.
• Brush the chicken with a little olive oil.
• On a hot grill pan, sear the chicken breast for 4 to 5 minutes before flipping over and doing the same on the other side.
• Slice the baguette on the diagonal and place on a baking sheet.
• Brush on a little olive oil.
• Toast the bread for about 10 minutes, until crisp.
• Rub with the garlic clove.
• Once you have strong grill marks over the chicken breast on both sides, cover your pan with foil and place into the hot oven on the higher shelf for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wash the lettuce and spin dry.
• Carefully drop the egg in boiling water and boil for 5 minutes exactly. Empty the boiling water out of the pan and replace it with cold water.
• Let the egg stand in the cold water while you finish the recipe.
• To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl and stir together with a whisk.
• Taste and season before setting aside.
• Put the washed and dried salad leaves into a big bowl with the dressing.
• Toss for a couple of minutes to make sure that all the leaves are coated.
• Add the shaved/grated Parmesan and arugula.
• Toss once again.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and let it cool down enough to handle before slicing on the diagonal.
• Plate up the salad, making sure that the chicken is evenly distributed.
• Tuck the crispy baguette toasts on the side of the salad and add half the soft-boiled egg.
• Finally, grind over some black pepper, scatter the sunflower seeds, and serve.

Steps:

• Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Whisk anchovies, garlic, 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp. mustard, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 1½ tsp. pepper in a small bowl. Set aside 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo in another small bowl.
• Pat chicken dry; season outside and inside all over with salt. Arrange breast side up in a cast-iron skillet and tuck wings underneath. Arrange shallots around (if using legs, nestle under and around); season with salt and pepper. Brush remaining anchovy mayo all over chicken, making sure to get it into the nooks and crannies, then brush shallots with any leftover anchovy mayo.
• Place chicken in oven so legs are facing toward the back (this is the hottest part of the oven and will help the legs cook before the breast dries out) and roast until some anchovy mayo and fat begin to drip onto shallots, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and, using tongs, turn shallots to coat in drippings. Return skillet to oven and continue to roast chicken, stirring shallots once or twice, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 155°F, 45-55 minutes. If skin starts to get too dark on the top before chicken is done, tent area with foil, leaving the rest of the bird exposed. If using chicken legs, start checking at 40 minutes (a thermometer inserted right at the joint should register 160°F). Transfer chicken and shallots to a cutting board, leaving behind any juices and fat in skillet. If shallots need more time to soften and darken, roast a bit longer without chicken before proceeding. Reserve skillet.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Finely grate half of zest of 1 lemon into a large bowl; cut lemon in half and squeeze in juice. Add reserved 1 Tbsp. anchovy mayo, remaining 3 Tbsp. mayo, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil and whisk to combine, then stir in Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.
• Add bread to reserved skillet with fat and turn to coat. Return skillet to oven and toast bread, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 12-15 minutes. Transfer croutons to bowl with reserved dressing. Add romaine and gently toss until lettuce is well coated. Season salad with salt and pepper.
• Slice remaining lemon into wedges. Carve chicken and nestle back into skillet or transfer to a platter; arrange shallots and lemon wedges around. Serve with salad and more mustard alongside.