This homemade caesar dressing is no exception. With just a few simple ingredients you can make this classic dressing recipe. Use it to impress guests, or just make a comfort food salad for yourself!
Fresh garlic: Provides a savory flavor.Anchovy paste: These little fish provide a key part of the signature savory flavor. Don’t worry, it won’t make your dressing taste fishy, but will provide a great umami flavor.Egg yolks: Brings a creaminess to the dressing and acts as an emulsifier to help bind the ingredients together. If you are worried about using raw eggs, see more information below.Salt and black pepperLemon juice: Adds some acidity and flavor to the dressing.Olive oil: See more on this below.Parmesan cheese: I recommend that you buy a block of parmesan and grate it. Freshly grated parmesan tastes better and works best for consistency.
Whisk together ingredients. Combine the garlic and anchovy paste. Then whisk in egg yolks, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice.Add olive oil. It is really important to do this slowly. Adding just a little at a time, whisk in the olive oil until it is fully incorporated.Add in the parmesan cheese.
With that being said, I recommend keeping both extra virgin olive oil and regular olive oil on hand. Extra virgin olive oil is better for salad dressings and sauces that aren’t cooked, but for cooking you want to use regular olive oil as it has a higher smoke point and won’t burn as easily. Using pasteurized eggs in caesar dressing makes this dressing completely safe to consume. Additionally, buying a paste instead of a can allows us to easily keep the leftovers and use them two weeks from now when we make this recipe again. It is a totally acceptable replacement in thin sauces and salad dressings where the texture of the anchovies isn’t needed. If you would like to go the traditional route, please note that a half tablespoon of anchovy paste is equal to three anchovies.
