Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Try this Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the sup
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (i like the brand maille)
- 1 cup mayonnaise best quality such as hellmann's real
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
- Carbohydrate 26.4695375150201 g
- Cholesterol 84.0000000710095 mg
- Fat 79.0076584000822 g
- Fiber 0.631541666438593 g
- Protein 1.99681250111933 g
- Saturated Fat 12.0106483434775 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (283g)
- Sodium 1969.8966682834 mg
- Sugar 25.8379958485815 g
- Trans Fat 66.969818389938 g
- Calories 824 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.
- Taste and adjust to your liking.
Replacing fresh lemon juice with bottled concentrate introduces an aggressive, one-dimensional acidity that strips away the dressing's balance. Real citrus delivers essential volatile oils from the peel during squeezing, adding aromatic depth that shelf-stable juice simply lacks. A proper emulsion relies on precise chemical bonding. Whisking the acid, garlic, and anchovy paste before introducing the mayonnaise creates a dispersed water-in-oil matrix. The mustard acts as a crucial surfactant, keeping the droplets of fat suspended so the dressing does not break into an oily slick. Salt draws out moisture from the minced garlic cells, softening their raw bite while distributing flavor evenly through the heavy mayonnaise base.
The Role of Umami and Texture
Anchovy paste and Parmigiano-Reggiano provide foundational glutamates that anchor the profile. Using freshly grated hard cheese matters because pre-shredded varieties contain cellulose powder as an anti-caking agent. That cellulose coats the tongue and hinders the smooth, velvety mouthfeel required for a classic Caesar. When evaluating doneness, check the coating consistency on the back of a wire whisk. The mixture should cling uniformly without dripping off instantly, indicating proper viscosity achieved through mechanical agitation rather than refrigeration.
- If the mixture appears too thin, add mayonnaise one tablespoon at a time while whisking vigorously to rebuild the continuous oil phase.
- If the garlic flavor overpowers the profile, let the base rest for ten minutes before adding dairy to allow sulfur compounds to mellow.
- Store the finished dressing in a sealed glass jar for up to four days in the coldest part of the refrigerator.
