Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumHomemade Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe from Scratch (video)
Making caesar salad dressing is very similar to making mayonnaise. Basically, you are emulsifying oil into egg yolk with the help of some mustard to help bind everything together. There are, obviously, a few other ingredients involved, as well! Anchovy paste is a frequent addition to the recipe, but it's not always easy to find it in stores, and not everyone likes it, so it's okay to leave out. We like it because it adds this delightful umami richness to the recipe that we quite enjoy.
We added a lot of lemon juice to ours, because we enjoy the dressing to be a little tart to combat the bitterness of whatever greens we're using. The croutons are very versatile, and you can make a lot of changes to that part of the recipe. Herbs are a delightful addition to the croutons, and a little bit of dried oregano, basil, or rosemary can be added before they are baked. Also, we let the croutons soak up all of the garlic bits, but the remaining garlic oil in the bowl was enough to infuse the dressing with a pronounced (but not overpowering) garlic aroma.
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Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)Definitely like a bit of anchovy paste in mine, not so much that the whole thing stinks of fish though
Pro-tip: put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours before using it, preferably overnight in fact. If you just whip this up and just use it immediately it's gonna taste shite.
Saviolo
(3,321 posts)We liked the croutons right after they were made, but they were outstanding the following day. So many things are better the next day.
Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)The flavors gotta meld ... no substitute for time in this regard!
Mr.Bill
(24,790 posts)had anchovy in it because I hate anchovy but love Caeser Salad. For me it is an essential ingredient. Just keep it off my Pizza.
Saviolo
(3,321 posts)I've had caesar salad with anchovy fillets on it. It tasted fine, but the little bones were very annoying and got stuck in my gums. Anchovy paste in the dressing is much better.
Same with pizza. I've had an amazing puttanesca pizza where the tomato sauce had anchovy paste in it, and you could definitely tell the difference, even if you couldn't tell it was anchovy. Had a really nice anchovy pizza where the fillets were of high quality and had melted nicely into the sauce and were salty umami excellence. Also had one where the little bits of anchovy were just all dried out and tasted fishy and ruined an otherwise very decent pizza.
Mr.Bill
(24,790 posts)but she asks for it on the side, that way she can taste it first then decide if she wants it on the pizza and how much.
Saviolo
(3,321 posts)Not all anchovies are created equal