Caesar Salad Dressing

Caesar Salad Dressing is so easy to make, keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and can be made with ingredients you should have lying around (or could easily keep in stock). Once you make you, you'll wonder why you ever bought it before.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, caesar salad dressing is basically a flavored (sometimes slightly thinned) mayonaisse. They're made exactly the same way. I haven't made mayonaisse yet, but the next time I have occasion to use it (like crab cakes) I certainly will.

Simple way to remember the recipe: two acids (lemon juice, vinegar), two emulsifiers (egg yolk, mustard), two pungent flavorings (garlic, anchovies), two liquids (Worchestershire sauce, oil). There are tons of variants, all of which will yield a good dressing with subtly different flavors. You can vary the type of acids, the kind of mustard, the amount of flavorings, and the type of oil. A light-flavored oil, like canola or light olive oil, is best.

Full recipe:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon mustard, preferably dijon, whole-grain, or spicy
• 3-5 anchovy filets
• 3-5 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
• 1 cup canola or light olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil in blender; blend until smooth. Set blender on lowest speed, and drizzle in oil in a slow stream. When all the oil is added, blend for a few seconds more until smooth. The mixture should be thick; if you prefer a thinner dressing, add some warm water, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached. You can also add salt and pepper to taste; I usually just add pepper. Some people also add grated parmesan cheese, but I prefer to add this to the salad itself.

Again, this recipe is infinitely tweakable. I usually juice one lemon, then add enough vinegar to make 5 tablespoons total. You could omit the anchovies and Worchestershire sauce to make it both vegetarian and gluten-free. As much as I love garlic, it's easy to get carried away and make it way too garlicky.

And as for the salad, I love chopped romaine with croutons, and for a main dish, add roasted chicken breast. Top with grated parmesan (or my new favorite, manchego). Diced hard-boiled egg and fresh sliced mushrooms go great in it. (Carrots and cucumbers, not so much).

It's also great for replacing mayo for certain things. I just made a bacon-egg-tomato sandwich with it and it was amazing!