Go Back
Print Pin

Grilled Romaine Wedge with Anchovy & Herb Aioli

Grilled lettuce greens are underrated and underrepresented in many kitchens across the world. This salad includes a crispy wedge of Romaine, which is grilled, served with an anchovy & herb aioli, and topped with grated parmesan cheese, cherry tomatoes, grilled apples, and lightly-toasted sourdough croutons.
The following recipe makes 4 large salads, each with ¼ head of Romaine lettuce.

Ingredients

For the Anchovy & Herb Aioli:

  • 1 whole egg
  • 7 oz sunflower seed oil
  • ½ clove of garlic (roughly chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Kosher salt to taste (a bit less than ¼ tsp)
  • ¼ tsp of freshly-ground black pepper
  • 6 fresh chives (finely sliced)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves (finely chopped)
  • 4 whole anchovies (finely chopped)

For the Remaining Salad Components:

  • ¼ loaf of country-style sourdough bread (torn up into small bite-sized chunks)
  • 2 or 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • A pinch of Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 head of crisp Romaine lettuce (washed and dried, cut into quarters)
  • 2 apples of your preference (cut into thin slices)
  • 12 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)
  • ¼ cup freshly-grated parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat the grill to 550˚F.
  • Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
  • For the Anchovy & Herb aioli, locate a tall and narrow container meant for an immersion blender.
  • Add the whole egg to the blending container, along with the sunflower seed oil, half garlic clove, Dijon mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a tiny pinch of Kosher salt & freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Blend with an immersion blender until your mixture arrive at a mayonnaise-like thick consistency.
  • *This should take roughly 20 seconds.
  • When you have arrived your desired aioli consistency, fold in the freshly chopped herbs and the chopped anchovies.
  • Taste the mixture, and add more lemon juice, salt, or black pepper as desired.
  • Set the Anchovy & Herb aioli aside for use later.
  • For the croutons, tear the bread into small bite-sized chunks, and toss them together in a large bowl with a few Tablespoons of olive oil, along with a pinch of Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
  • Place the seasoned and oiled bread chunks on a parchment-lined sheet tray, and bake in the oven for roughly 8-10 minutes at 350˚F, or until the croutons have begun to take on a light golden color and have gotten gently crispy on the outsides.
  • When the croutons are done baking, remove them from the oven and set them aside at room temperature to cool down.
  • When your grill is adequately preheated, quickly char the romaine lettuce quarters and the sliced apples for a minute or two on each side.
  • *Cook them for enough time to give some color to the outsides of each grilled item.
  • Serve the wedges of grilled romaine lettuce with some of the anchovy & herb aioli that you made earlier, along with some of the grilled apples, cherry tomatoes, grated parmesan cheese, and toasted croutons.

Notes

You can save any extra Anchovy & Herb aioli for use the following day or two, just store it covered in the fridge.
Any extra croutons will store well in a covered plastic container at room temperature for up to a week or two.