Caesar Salad Dressing
A real Caesar Salad is amazing. Crisp Romaine lettuce, homemade croutons (see recipe here), a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano and topped with the the perfect garlicky, anchovy-y dressing. Not for the delicate palate! Quick, easy, tasty, and in regular rotation at our house.
Keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
If you're worried about using a raw egg, you can substitute with aquafaba (the cooking water from beans, also what canned beans/chickpeas are in) or you can leave it out and it's still a lovely dressing.
- 2-3 anchovy fillets packed in oil (drained)
- 2-4 cloves garlic (peeled, err on the side of smaller cloves they can over-power the dressing quickly.)
- 1 large egg (can substitute 3T aquafaba, or just omit)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (we use sunflower. Other options are avocado, canola, grapeseed and safflower)
- 3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese (not from a can)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- dash of Worcestershire sauce dash of Tabasco (optional)
- splash water (optional, if you like it runnier)
Add anchovies, garlic, egg (or aquafaba or omit), lemon juice, dijon mustard and olive oil into a blender, a food processor or a blender cup for a stick blender. Blend well.
With the motor running, slowly add the neutral oil to the blended ingredients until it is fully incorporated and emulsified. Sometimes it's super thick, sometimes it's runnier. If it's too thick, add a a tablespoon of water at a time and blend again until it is the consistency you want.
Add the cheese and give it a quick blend. Taste it. Add salt only if you think it needs it - anchovies are very salty! Add pepper to taste as well. You can also add an optional dash of hot sauce like Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce for a little oomph and an extra dimension of flavour, but they are not necessary.
