Salads usually require forks, but Grace Parisi transforms a classic Caesar into a clever finger food. She tosses chopped endives with a lemony dressing, then spoons the mixture inside elegant endive spears, topping it with cheese and crunchy mini croutons.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 7 belgian endives
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3 anchovy fillets, mashed
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups 1/4-inch-diced white bread
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, stirring once, until golden and crisp.
2. Meanwhile, in the same bowl, using a spoon, mash the anchovies to a paste with the garlic and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon zest and lemon juice, then whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the 1/4 cup of grated cheese.
3. Trim the endives and remove the 60 largest leaves from 6 of the heads. Stack the leaves and trim them to about 4 inches. Thinly slice the remaining endive, along with the trimmings of the 6 other heads (you should have about 3 cups), and toss with the dressing. Spoon the salad onto each spear and garnish with the croutons and grated cheese. Serve immediately.