“Chicken” Caesar Salad with Chicken of the Woods

This “chicken” caesar salad with chicken of the woods mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus ) is a hearty dinner salad, riffing on the ubiquitous chicken caesar salad.

Make sure you only use fresh and juicy chicken of the woods!

  • Prep Time25 min
  • Cook Time25 min
  • Total Time50 min
  • Yield2 dinner salads, or 4 side salads

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 anchovies, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup (22g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

For the Salad

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 8oz (225g) fresh chicken of the woods mushroom, cleaned
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • Dried oregano leaves
  • 2 slices bread (I prefer sourdough)
  • 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  • Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

Preparation

For the Dressing

1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, and cheese. 

Slowly pour in both oils, in a thin steady stream, whisking the entire time. 

Whisk in the black pepper. I like mine very peppery, but use however much you’d like. 

For the Salad

2

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C, gas mark 7).

3

Fry bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Set aside the bacon to cool, reserving the bacon grease. 

Once cool, chop the bacon. 

4

Tear the mushrooms into bite sized pieces. 

Toss with half of the bacon grease as well as a pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano. 

Tear the bread into bite sized pieces. 

Toss with the other half of the bacon grease, as well as a pinch of salt, pepper, and oregano. 

Put the mushrooms on one side of a baking sheet, and the bread on the other side. 

Put into the oven for 10 minutes. Flip, and cook for another 5, keeping an eye on the bread so it doesn’t burn. 

5

Transfer the lettuce to a large bowl. Toss in the mushrooms, bread croutons, and bacon. 

Toss in the dressing so that everything is well coated. 

Use a vegetable peeler to shave thin pieces of Parmesan cheese off of the block onto the top of the salad. 

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

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