Tartine is just a fancy word for an open faced sandwich or toast. So this is basically a not-so-fancy piece of bread piled high with chicken Caesar salad on top. The crusty bread acts like a garlicy crouton and it’s topped with grilled chicken and a romaine salad tossed with homemade creamy Caesar dressing and parmesan cheese. It’s basically a portable salad that you can make for lunch or a light weeknight dinner. It’s great for parties as well, if you’d like to turn them into crostini instead! Basically what I’m trying to say is that this recipe is versatile and it’ll be your new favorite way to salad. If you’re looking for something a bit more hearty, this Steak and Potato Caesar Salad might do the trick.
Let’s start with the grilled chicken for the tartines. Season the boneless skinless chicken breast with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Preheat a stove-top grill pan over high heat. Once hot, place the chicken on and grill for about 6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices; set aside.
Preheat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Place under the broiler and cook until the bread is golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 30 seconds to a minute.
**Note: Make sure you keep a close eye on the toast so that it doesn’t burn. The broiler is wild and the bread will burn in a second if you’re not watching it!**
Meanwhile, let’s make the dressing. Combine the egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, 1 or 2 anchovy fillets (depending on how you like them), a pinch of salt and pepper, Parmesan, and Worcestershire sauce in a small food processor. Blend until just beginning to come together.
**Note: I know that some people might be put off by the raw egg yolk in this recipe, but as long as the eggs are fresh and pasteurized it’ll be fine. But if you really don’t want to use it, I would recommend substituting it for 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard instead. It’ll do the same thing for the dressing, but will change the taste.**
While the machine is running, drizzle in as much of the oil as needed to create a smooth thickened dressing. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mayo, if using. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
**Tip: You can make the dressing up to a week in advance and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to use. The mayo allows the dressing to be creamy but it’s completely optional if you prefer more of a vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing.**
Let’s turn our attention back to the toast. Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, rub the toast slices with the whole garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
**Tip: You’ll want to rub the toast with the garlic while it’s still warm so that the heat from the bread melts the garlic a bit into it and give it a slight garlic taste without being overpowered.**
In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, a few tablespoons of the dressing (depending on how dressed you like your salad), and the grated Parmesan cheese until evenly combined.
You might not need all the dressing, depending on what you prefer, but any leftover can be stored in the fridge and kept for future salads.
To assemble the toasts, top the bread slices with the sliced chicken and the dressed salad. If you want, you can also top the toasts with fresh Parmesan shavings. This gives it a bit of a nice touch but is not necessary. You can also top with some coarsely ground black pepper right before serving.
You’ll want to eat them as soon as they’re made because the bread can get soggy the longer it sits. And the best part of the tartines is the crusty crunchy bread because it acts as the crouton in a classic Caesar salad!
If you want to keep things vegetarian, feel free to omit the chicken. It would still be delicious without it. Or if you’d like to switch things up a bit, you can grill some shrimp and use that instead of chicken. It would be a great recipe to make on Fridays if you’re observing lent.
If you’re a fan of Caesar salad, you’ll want to make this recipe as soon as possible. If you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think below. I hope you enjoy it!
Caesar Salad Tartines
Ingredients
Tartine:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 slices crusty bread 1/2-inch thick
- 3 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 large head of Romain lettuce thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Caesar Dressing:
- 1 large pasteurized egg yolk
- 1 garlic clove smashed
- 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 anchovy fillets
- Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise optional
Instructions
- Season the chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a good pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Preheat a stove-top grill pan over high heat. Once hot, place the chicken on and grill for about 6 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices; set aside.
- Preheat the broiler to high. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Place under the broiler and cook until the bread is golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 30 seconds to a minute. Keep a close eye so that it doesn't burn. Remove from the oven and once cool enough to handle, rub the toast slices with the whole garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- To make the dressing, combine the egg yolk, garlic, lemon juice, 1 or 2 anchovy fillets (depending on how you like them), a pinch of salt and pepper, Parmesan, and Worcestershire sauce in a small food processor. Blend until just beginning to come together. Then while the machine is running, drizzle in as much of the oil as needed to create a smooth thickened dressing. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the mayo, if using. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, adding more salt or pepper if needed.
- In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, a few tablespoons of the dressing (depending on how dressed you like your salad, and the Parmesan cheese until evenly combined.
- To assemble, top the bread slices with the sliced chicken and the dressed salad. Shave Parmesan on top for garnish, if desired, and sprinkle with a bit of black pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Stunning! Absolutely stunning. I will make this soon. Thank you for posting.
love these, horizontal salad, and the parmesan slice makes is a nice touch, thank you!