Caesar Salad

I love the creaminess and saltiness of a good Caesar salad dressing.  The richness and creaminess come from the egg, especially the yolk and the saltiness from anchovies.  Years ago I used to mash my anchovies with a little salt and oil and add it to a beaten egg along with garlic and lemon juice.  I whisked oil in to make a beautiful emulsion and then left the dressing on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours to let the flavors meld.  Its a wonder to me now that we ate it quite frequently and never got sick.  I would never take that chance with a raw egg these days.

I have been using this Ellie Krieger recipe for a few years now and it has all the elements of what I love in the dressing but it starts with a pasteurized egg product making it perfectly safe.  There are no kitchen appliances needed; just a bowl and a whisk.  It also comes together very quickly.

Caesar Salad
Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup pasteurized egg product (such as Egg Beaters)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
8 cups coarsely torn romaine lettuce
2 cups Croutons

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg product, garlic, anchovy paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.  Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking the whole time.  Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the lettuce until well coated.  Add the croutons and toss to combine.  Divide the salad onto 4 plates shave some Parmesan slices over top.


Slightly adapted from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger


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