I’ve been craving a big, restaurant-style Caesar salad and mixed up one from scratch this week. The keys to an amazing Caesar salad: crunchy crisp greens, lots of fresh cracked black pepper and salty parmesan cheese, and a fresh, homemade dressing! It’s simple to make, and the vigorous whisking can count as your arm workout for the day. A few tips: You can use whole anchovies, but I opt for the paste since you only need a tiny bit and it lasts longer in the fridge! And if the raw egg makes you nervous you can substitute 1 Tbsp of mayonnaise for the egg yolk. See the recipe below:

From Scratch: Caesar Salad Dressing.
Serves: About 1 cup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Tsp. of Anchovy Paste
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic, very finely minced
  • 1 Large Egg Yolk
  • 1 Tbsp. of Dijon Mustard
  • 1.5 Tbsp of Fresh Lemon Juice
  • ¼ Cup of Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp of Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
  • Salt and Pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine anchovy paste and garlic in a bowl.
  2. Add in egg yolk, Dijon mustard and lemon juice; whisk until well combined.
  3. Very slowly pour the olive oil into the mixture while whisking vigorously until all of the ingredients are emulsified and the dressing looks thickened.
  4. Whisk in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour the dressing over your crispy greens, and toss with rustic croutons and parmesan shavings.