The Exchange
Caesar salads make for a tasty meal, but can sometimes be a little boring. Not at The Exchange. Chef Narita Santos elevates the dish for an entirely new experience. We know you can’t always make it out for a meal, so Santos has kindly shared the recipe for two key elements of her Grilled “Caesar” Salad so you can make your very own. Read on for the full recipe and more insight from Santos below.
See also: Where to Enjoy the Best Alfresco Happy Hours in L.A.
My first exposure to a Caesar salad was from those salad kits that our mother purchased from the grocery store. Once I mixed that salad together and took a bite…I was hooked. Specifically, what drew me to a Caesar salad is its textures and the play between all these different flavor notes. From the saltiness of the anchovies, the acidity of fresh lemon juice, sweetness from the romaine lettuce, then the kick from tons of freshly black pepper along with that crunch factor from the herby croutons. It truly ticked off all the boxes.
My palette is naturally drawn to bright, acidic foods. I grew up loving laban, which is a fermented goat’s milk with a consistency between milk and buttermilk quite similar to what labneh yogurt tastes like. I wanted to show some love for the humble savoy cabbage by steaming until fork tender then charring it over charcoal to order. We then add our salsa macha with peanuts, dried shrimp and morita chiles. Topped off with heaps of fresh mint, Thai basil, parsley and cilantro, then garnished with pickled Asian pears and almond breadcrumbs.
Labneh Caesar Dressing
1 cup labneh yogurt
8-10 anchovies in oil
3-5 garlic cloves, micro planed
2-3 lemons, zest & juice
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¼ cup Grano Padano cheese, finely grated
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Salsa Macha
1 cup neutral oil
2 T crushed red pepper flakes or Korean chili pepper flakes (more mild, less spicy)
2-3 morita chiles, toasted and crushed (for smokiness and depth)
2 T toasted peanut, rough chopped
2 t cane sugar or granulated sugar
¼ dark balsamic vinegar
Labneh Caesar Dressing
Finely minced anchovies into a paste. Mix everything in a blender, food processer, or in a bowl with a whisk on hand except for lemon juice, salt and pepper. Depending on the brand of labneh there are some that are very thick and some that are looser in consistency. Add a touch of water if it is still too thick and you have reached the brightness you like from adding lemon juice.
Season to taste.
Note: It is chef’s choice on how much acidity and what consistency your dressing will have.
Salsa Macha
Add all ingredients except for the balsamic vinegar into a deep metal or bowl with a trivet at the bottom. Heat neutral oil to about 350 F, then turn off heat and add the oil very slowly into a metal bowl to steep and infuse flavors. Slowly add balsamic vinegar a little bit at a time once the steam has dissipated. Simmer on very low heat for about 5 minutes then let it cook fully before using.
The Exchange is located at Freehand Los Angeles at 416 W 8th St 90014.
Photography by: Courtesy The Exchange
