Green Goddess Dressing
This is my interpretation of the original Green Goddess recipe, created circa 1920s at San Francisco's Palace Hotel. Without question, this is one of the best salad dressings I have ever put in my mouth. Use it on any mixed or green salad, however I think that thick dressings such as this are especially good dripping down wedges of iceberg lettuce. Very versatile, it's also excellent as a dressing in chicken, shrimp, or lobster salads; makes a phenomenal dip for raw or steamed veggies; is great used in place of mayonnaise on your favorite sandwich.
This is my interpretation of the original Green Goddess recipe, created circa 1920s at San Francisco's Palace Hotel. Without question, this is one of the best salad dressings I have ever put in my mouth. Use it on any mixed or green salad, however I think that thick dressings such as this are especially good dripping down wedges of iceberg lettuce. Very versatile, it's also excellent as a dressing in chicken, shrimp, or lobster salads; makes a phenomenal dip for raw or steamed veggies; is great used in place of mayonnaise on your favorite sandwich.
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, minced (or, minced scallions)
- 4 anchovy fillets, (or 5) finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, (or 2 cloves) finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, minced (or, 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon)
- 1 tablespoon capers, (up to 2 tablespoons) drained and crushed (optional)
- 1 cup mayonnaise (i like hellman's)
- 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice (up to 3 tablespoons) (or a combination of both)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper
- Carbohydrate 60.27543 g
- Cholesterol 127.202705124239 mg
- Fat 90.9216027133553 g
- Fiber 0.947299995183945 g
- Protein 19.0543124879711 g
- Saturated Fat 17.4931016494879 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Cup (395g)
- Sodium 1997.30888888201 mg
- Sugar 59.328130004816 g
- Trans Fat 5.14764801811354 g
- Calories 1111 calories
Step-by-step
- In a mini food processor or blender, combine the parsley, chives, anchovies, garlic, tarragon and capers, if desired, and process to a fine paste (or grind with a mortar and pestle to make a fairly smooth paste).
- Blend in the mayonnaise, sour cream, and vinegar.
- Scrape the dressing into a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Refrigerate until serving time. (To make ahead: The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Achieving a smooth green goddess dressing requires shearing fibrous herbs completely before adding heavy fats. Whole leaves of parsley and tarragon resist emulsification if added alongside mayonnaise and sour cream, leaving unsightly green flecks rather than an even pale-jade hue. Pulse the garlic, anchovies, capers, and herbs in a food processor until they form a dense, uniform paste before introducing the dairy components.
Fat ratios dictate the cling of the final sauce. Combining equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream provides enough body to coat robust greens without sliding off the leaves. When doubling the batch for larger gatherings, process the herb paste in two separate increments to prevent uneven particle size in the blades.
Rest the finished mixture in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes to allow the salt to dissolve and the garlic oils to mellow. Stored in a sealed glass jar, the emulsion remains stable for up to three days.
