Not for the faint of heart, this robust dressing is filled with garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, a whole egg, olive oil, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
A raw egg is used to emulsify the oil to the other ingredients, making the salad dressing creamy. When dealing with raw eggs, first purchase a high quality egg, like fresh cage free organic ones. Dangers of raw egg come from the shell, so simmering the egg for 45 seconds in gently boiling water helps to remove any bacteria.
I love olive oil but feel the strong flavor overpowers the final dressing. I use half olive oil and half of a neutral oil like grapeseed. If you have light (not extra virgin) olive oil that can be used too.
Allow the dressing to sit for a few hours so the flavors can blend. Toss with romaine, croutons, and more parmesan cheese for a crazy good salad.
Classic Caesar Salad Dressing
1 egg, coddled (simmered in boiling water for 45 seconds and removed with a slotted spoon to cool)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons anchovy paste, (more or less to taste)
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped romaine hearts, croutons*, shaved parmesan, black pepper
Place coddled egg, garlic, anchovy, lemon, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Slowly add a small stream of olive oil, whisking constantly until blended. Once the olive oil is added, the other oil can be added in a faster stream, the emulsion should have already happened. Stir in parmesan cheese and season to taste with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Refrigerate for a few hours for flavors to blend. Can hold in fridge up to 3 days.
To serve, toss with chopped romaine and croutons. Garnish with additional shaved parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
*Homemade croutons can easily be made by cutting french bread into cubes, tossing with oil, and cooking on a lined baking sheet in a 400 oven for 10-15 minutes. Or buy good quality croutons from the store.
