Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Caesar Dressing

Ceasar Salad was invented by an Italian immigrant living in San Diego named Ceasar Cardini in the 1920s. He had a restaurant in Tijuana to avoid the alcohol restrictions of the prohibition. The original dressing did not have anchovies, but the recipe I used, and most I saw on the internet, requires anchovies. This recipe comes from bon appetit.

The ingredients for the dressing are 6 anchovy fillets in oil, 1 garlic clove, salt, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup vegetable oil, and 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese.


I began by chopping the anchovies, garlic, and a pinch of salt together. After chopping it well, I used the side of the knife to mash it together. Anchovies look discussing, but you should give them a chance. According to NPR, anchovies provide the sought after “umami” taste. Anchovies are from the herring family and preserved in salt. The NPR story is a pretty entertaining read, so I’d check it out.



I put the anchovies, garlic, and salt into a bowl with the egg yolks, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. I whisked these ingredients together.

I gradually whisked in the extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil. I whisked until it was combined and thick.


I grated in the parmesan cheese into the bowl and whisked.

I ate this with romaine lettuce, croutons, chicken, and parmesan cheese shavings. I baked the chicken at 370 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes. I made the croutons by drizzling olive oil over bread cubes and baking the cubes for 10 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

I like caesar salad.  As a caesar salad connoisseur, I can say this a good caesar dressing.  If you have a food processor, I would advise using it to make this dressing.  The anchovies broke down, but it wasn't as creamy and smooth as I prefer.


2 comments:

GreenTaiwan said...

Very cool Lauraroo! You inspire me! Hope things are going well out in DC.

laura said...

Thanks! It's been fun to write about food. DC is going well, but I am waiting for my next adventure. I hope your doing well!