Okay, I confess. I am a bit of a caesar salad snob. When we actually do go out to dinner, I always order caesar salad. But before I order (if it’s a new place) I ask the waitress “is your dressing oily or creamy?” *Insert my husband’s eye roll* I am quite particular about my dressing. I don’t like it too oily, nor do I like it to taste like a bucket of mayonnaise. And it has to have juuuust the perfect amount of dressing. I hate that no one makes homemade dressing anymore with raw egg yolk and anchovies. You just can’t have a true caesar without either of them! Let’s just say I always leave the restaurant disappointed asking myself why I even bothered ordering it when I knew it couldn’t possibly live up to my high standards.
So, in my quest to find that elusive balance of oil, umami, lemon, and parmesan with a perfect touch of creaminess, I started to make my own. I tried various recipes online, and each one fell short. Through experimenting and adjustments I finally found a winner that’s a slight variation of Bon Apetit’s Recipe. I have a big beef with vegetable oil, and it’s the main oil used in every recipe I saw due to its neutral flavor. Why is no one using avocado oil? It’s neutral and incredibly healthy! Now that I have a go to recipe, it’s turned into a full blown addiction and we eat it very regularly.
This recipe is comprised of a short list of simple ingredients. It’s in recipes such as these that it’s more important than ever that you use quality ingredients. If you use the cheapest parmesan cheese you can find or a yolk that came from a chicken or duck that had a strict grain diet I promise it won’t be as good.
Ingredients
For Dressing
- 6-8 anchovies or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
- 1 clove garlic
- Coarse sea salt
- 2 egg yolks from pastured eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 3 heaping tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
- Cracked black pepper
For Croutons
- Loaf of italian/french bread with crust
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For Salad
- Torn fresh romaine lettuce leaves – rinsed and dried in salad spinner
- Parmesan shavings
Directions
For Dressing
- Chop or muddle together garlic, anchovies, and a pinch of coarse sea salt until it reaches a paste-like consistency adding to a bowl. Add yolks, fresh lemon juice, dijon mustard and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Very slowly start to drizzle in olive oil drop by drop. Then, add avocado oil in a thin stream constantly whisking, and continue to add until thick and glossy creating an emulsion.
- Whisk in freshly grated parmesan, then add salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
For Croutons
- Preheat oven to 400F, and cover cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Tear pieces off of loaf as large as you desire, and add to cookie sheet. Arrange into a single layer, drizzle with olive oil, and generously season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Bake in oven for 10 minutes, toss, and put back in the oven until golden brown another 5-10 minutes.
- Make ahead to allow to cool before adding to salad to prevent wilting
Add torn romaine lettuce and croutons to a salad bowl, and lightly drizzle dressing on top. Add some grilled chicken or steak, toss to coat, adding more dressing or croutons as desired. Garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese and serve. That’s all there is to it!
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Big fan of Caesar Salad. Definitely want to try this dressing. Thanks for posting!