The absolute best Caesar salad I ever had was in an Italian restaurant at a resort in Acapulco, Mexico. (Huh?!) My brother is my witness. And just because we were starving and eating a 10:00 PM dinner, does not mean we were slippin’ in judgement. Anyone would have been wowed by the table-side, ingredient-by-ingredient preparation that forever raised the bar on a classic.
Since this mind-blowing experience, I seriously have been much more scrutinizing of dressing. The bottled, preserved-up stuff just doesn’t cut it. I found this go-to, loveable Best Caesar Dressing recipe from Meghan Splawn on Kitchn.
RATING = THE TRIFECTA… Authentic, simple and delicious.
Notes:
- The keys to Caesar dressing are anchovies, egg yolks and not 1 but 2 oils.
- I have used a pre-made anchovy paste instead of starting with anchovy fillets.
- Makes 1 cup. Can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Ingredients:
- 1 (2-ounce) can oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Steps:
- Mince anchovies and garlic together, making a paste. Set aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk egg yolks together until smooth.
- Whisk in mustard until just combined.
- Whisk in anchovy-garlic paste.
- While whisking, stream in lemon juice.
- While whisking, stream in olive oil to create a thick emulsion. Once all olive oil is added, whisk for another minute to thicken.
- Continue whisking and slowly stream in vegetable oil. Again, once all vegetable oil is added, whisk for another minute to thicken.
- Whisk in Parmesan cheese.
- Taste and season with black pepper as needed.
- Serve immediately.