In the kitchen with Michael Long of Opus

Michael Long, executive chef of Opus (2575 Main Street, Littleton), and the subject of this week's Chef and Tell interview, knows a thing or two about Caesar salads: He won the 2007 American Institute of Food And Wine's Caesar salad award in 2007. In this riff on the classic, Long adds prosciutto and slow-roasted garlic cloves for a fresh spin.

Knife and fork hearts of romaine with prosciutto, white anchovies and roasted garlic

Ingredients

For dressing

4 egg yolks 2 tablespoons dry mustard 2 white anchovies, chopped 1 teaspoon raw garlic, finely chopped Juice of two lemons 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil 1 cup neutral salad oil

To assemble

4 heads of romaine lettuce, washed, hearts only, slices into wedges and core removed 8 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced

Plate garnishes

3 cloves garlic, peeled and slow-roasted 2 fillets white anchovy ¼ cup Asiago cheese, grated One breadstick One-half of a hard-boiled egg

Preparation

Make dressing

In a food processor, combine eggs through black pepper. Blend until smooth, then with motor running, gradually add the olive oil and salad oil until the mixture is emulsified.

To assemble and serve Wrap prosciutto around bottom of romaine wedges. Divide the wedges equally between four salad plates. Arrange slow-roasted garlic cloves, white anchovies, grated Asiago, breadsticks and hard-boiled eggs on each plate. Drizzle dressing on top of wedges. Serve immediately.

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