3 heads Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup capers in brine
4 oz anchovies in oil
8-10 large cloves garlic, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
4 hardboiled eggs
Wash and slice the heads of lettuce into salad-sized pieces. Set aside to dry.
Crush the garlic thoroughly through a garlic press. If you do not own a garlic press, use the blade of a cleaver or a large chef's knife to crush the garlic. Hold the garlic under the flat of the blade and administer sharp blows with your hand. The garlic should be very nearly liquefied - it is important for the flavor to crush it, not just chop or dice it. Rinse and drain the capers.
Add the garlic and anchovies with their oil to the small chopping bowl of your food processor, and pulse until the anchovies are in small dice. Add the capers and the pine nuts, and process a few more pulses. The result should still be somewhat chunky. If you prefer a smoother dressing with less texture, continue processing. Otherwise, leave some of the pine nuts and capers whole.
Taste your results - this dressing is addictive by itself on salad or as an authentic Roman sauce for pork or lamb. If its pungent, garlickly bite is too much for you, stir it into enough mayonnaise to tame the flavor and serve it over crisp spears of Romaine lettuce. Garnish with sliced hardboiled eggs and additional anchovies, if desired.
Store bought mayonnaise will suffice, but after you've tasted the homemade version, you might never want to go back to it again. Here's a recipe for homemade mayonnaise that includes some safety precautions and tips on how to make the eggs safer for your consumption.
Ready for some more quick and luscious recipes from Giovanni's? Try 5-Minute Polenta Melts or Panettone French Toast.
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