In her cookbook “Small Victories”, Julia Turshen shares that when she was a private chef, the most requested item she prepared for lots of different families was Caesar salad dressing. She left containers of her version in refrigerators all over New York City. The beauty of this recipe for me is swapping the traditional raw egg for a bit of mayonnaise, making a creamy dressing with no fear of bacteria. I found adding a bit more lemon juice and cheese made it just right for me; you can adjust it to suit your taste as well.
My friend Linda made this for me, and told me it was from this well received cook book from 2016. Foreword by Ina Garten, and full of as much advice as recipes. Just got my own used copy for basically the cost of shipping, and eyeing the recipe for Turkey and Ricotta meatballs next! (Which Sally Field said was worth the price of the book!)
1 small garlic clove, minced
4 olive oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 hearts of romaine lettuce, trimmed, washed, dried, and cut into bite-sized pieces
A handful of cherry tomatoes
In a blender or food processor, puree the garlic, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the Parmesan and give the dressing a few pulses just to incorporate the cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, finely chop the anchovies, put them in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, and whisk everything together.)
Put the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle nearly all of the dressing over it. Use your hands to mix everything together, making sure each and every piece of lettuce is coated with dressing. Divide the dressed lettuce among four plates. Divide the tomatoes evenly among the salads and drizzle the last bit of dressing over the salads. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
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