Classic Caesar Salad Dressing
Fresh, easy, and ready in five.
I used to be a store-bought Caesar dressing goddess all the way — until I took a moment and read the ingredient list. There’s no way a great dressing like this should include shelf stable ingredients or added sugar and salt, especially when fresh and delicious perfection can be reached in under five minutes.
The real trick to this recipe is having your pantry staples on hand — fresh garlic and lemons, high-quality Parmesan cheese, and a top shelf olive oil. You also need that secret ingredient, anchovy filets, to really make the flavours soar and impart an umami richness that sets good Caesar dressing apart from great.
This recipe easily doubles for your backyard barbecue events, but I typically cut it in half when making Caesar salad for two. You can also make the dressing what I call, ‘love me later’ style by adding an extra half (or even whole) garlic toe, but be warned it definitely packs a punch. — CFG
Ingredients
1/2 cup of high-quality olive oil
2 large pasteurized egg yolks
1 garlic clove, peeled
Juice of one lemon (~3 tbsp)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup (for end of recipe)
1 anchovy filet
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder -OR- Dijon mustard
1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Directions
Place all ingredients into small blender or deep-walled container for use with an immersion mixer.
Blend ingredients for 20 - 30 seconds or until dressing is smooth.
Taste and add more ground pepper as needed. (If dressing is too citrusy, add a splash of olive oil and blend for 10 more seconds.)
Add in remaining 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan and stir with a spoon to incorporate.
Combine desired amount of dressing with fresh Romaine lettuce, crumbled bacon, capers, shaved Parmesan petals, and sourdough croutons.
Toss together, serve and enjoy.
(Remaining dressing will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Anchovy Tip:
I don’t know anyone who uses an entire tin of anchovies in one sitting, even when using on a pizza! To avoid wastage, drain the oil off the filets, then place them on a piece of parchment paper and freeze. Once frozen, fold the parchment paper over the filets and transfer to a small freezer safe plastic bag. When you’re ready to use a filet, simply take the portion you need out of the freezer and you’re all set.
