Mark Moriarty’s recipe for kale Caesar salad with fried breadcrumbs

Sat Oct 24 2026 - 04:52

Serves: 2

Course: Dinner/side

Cooking Time: 5 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• For the Caesar dressing:
• 1 egg yolk
• 1tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 tin anchovies
• 1tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 thumb-size piece of Parmesan, grated
• 1tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 250ml vegetable oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lemon juice, to taste
• 1tbs sea salt
• 1tbs caster sugar
• 200g kale
• 80g panko breadcrumbs
• 1tbs vegetable oil
• 50g butter
• Parmesan, grated, to garnish

1. Start by making your Caesar dressing. Place the egg yolk, vinegar, anchovies, mustard, Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce in a blender and blend to paste. Slowly add the vegetable oil while blending at a medium pace until a thick dressing is formed. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice and reserve.
2. Have a large bowl of iced water ready beside the hob. Place a large saucepan of freshly boiled water on the heat and season well with sea salt and caster sugar. When the water comes to the boil, add the kale and blanch for 10 seconds, then use tongs to lift the kale out and straight into the iced water.
3. Leave the kale in the iced water for one minute to chill and refresh, then strain and place in a salad spinner to dry the kale leaves. 
4. To make the fried breadcrumbs, place a large nonstick frying pan on a medium heat and add the oil and butter. Add the breadcrumbs and cook for three to four minutes while stirring regularly until they are evenly golden brown. 
5. Place a sieve over a bowl, then strain the breadcrumbs in the sieve, removing excess butter. Place the breadcrumbs on a plate lined with some kitchen paper.
6. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl and spoon in some of the Caesar dressing. Lightly toss the kale in the dressing to evenly coat, then stack on serving plates. Spoon on some of the fried breadcrumbs, then garnish with some grated Parmesan.

Mark Moriarty is an award winning chef, TV host, author and Irish Times columnist.

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