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Give Your Caesar A Far East Flair

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2008

Feed your Caesar salad fantasies, but with a feisty Asian spin. Smoked chicken and tender, leafy greens will keep your love alive. Fish sauce - popular throughout Southeast Asia - plays the double agent. It provides both the salt and anchovy flavors of classic Caesar dressing.

Grades of fish sauce are like olive oil. Spiff up your pantry with a decent bottle - look for a sauce in the Asian market that's a light amber color with nhi or thuong hang on the label, indicating tip-top quality. It keeps forever in a cool, dark place (no need to stash in the fridge).

Then add more pep to the romaine with fragrant cloves of garlic and your best-quality olive oil. If you can't find smoked chicken, substitute smoked turkey. Or leave out the meat entirely and just go for the green.

THAI-ME-UP CAESAR SALAD WITH SMOKED CHICKEN

2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Cracked pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

2 cups prepared smoked chicken

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Wonton strips, optional

Combine fish sauce, lemon juice, garlic and cracked pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until well blended. In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce and chicken, then toss with the vinaigrette. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 6 servings.

Anne-Marie Hodges and Pam Brandon can be reached at divas@ culinaryconfessions.net.

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