Chicken Caesar Crouton Cups Recipes

CHICKEN CAESAR SOUP

Steps:

• Make the soup: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, 3 cups water, the potato and the parmesan rind. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate using tongs and let cool.
• Meanwhile, make the croutons: Combine the mayonnaise, grated parmesan, lemon juice, anchovies, hot sauce, garlic, a few grinds of pepper and 1 tablespoon water in a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.
• Cut the baguette in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Arrange on a baking sheet and brush with the mayonnaise mixture, reserving 2 tablespoons for topping. Sprinkle with the parsley, lemon zest and more parmesan; bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the lettuce and heavy cream to the pot and cook until the lettuce is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard the parmesan rind. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Shred the chicken and add it to the soup; heat through over medium heat. Divide among bowls, drizzle with the reserved mayonnaise mixture and top with the croutons and more pepper.

CHICKEN CAESAR CROUTON CUPS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Stir the butter, grated garlic and Italian seasoning in a small bowl until combined. Use a rolling pin to flatten out each slice of bread. Trim the edges to remove the crusts and make each slice into a 3-inch square. Brush both sides of each slice with the butter mixture. Press one slice into each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan, so that the bread is completely covering the bottom and the corners are coming up the sides of the cup.
• Bake until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the muffin pan 15 minutes, then transfer the crouton cups to a rack to cool completely; they will crisp up as they cool.
• Using a vegetable peeler, shave 12 small Parmesan curls onto a small plate. Finely grate the remaining Parmesan (you will need 3 tablespoons) and set aside.
• Mound the anchovies, chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon salt on a cutting board. Using the side of a chef's knife, mash and chop the anchovies and garlic until well combined, then continue to work the mixture, holding the knife blade at an angle, until a smooth paste forms.
• Whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard together in a medium bowl. Adding drop by drop to start and whisking constantly, drizzle a few drops of oil into the yolk mixture. Continue, going slowly, until all the oil has been used and the mixture looks thick and creamy. Add the anchovy mixture and the grated Parmesan and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.
• Toss the lettuce, chicken and half of the dressing in a large bowl, then taste and add additional dressing if desired. Mound some salad inside each crouton cup, then top each with a Parmesan curl and serve.