By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Natashas Kitchen.
Store-bought Caesar dressing is fine in a pinch, but it never tastes as fresh as the kind you stir together yourself. Natasha from Natasha's Kitchen walks through her version, and the best part is there are no raw eggs and the anchovies are optional.
You start with a mayonnaise base, then build in Dijon, Worcestershire, fresh garlic, lemon, and a good amount of grated parmesan. A steady whisk pulls it all into something thick and creamy. It takes about ten minutes and makes roughly one cup, enough for a big bowl of romaine.
Pour it into a mason jar and it keeps in the fridge for the week. Once you taste it on crisp lettuce with croutons, the bottled stuff goes back on the shelf for good.
8 steps · about 4 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Scoop a half cup of mayonnaise into a large glass bowl. This is what makes the dressing creamy without any raw egg. Natasha uses regular mayo here, so grab whatever you already keep in the fridge. A big bowl gives you room to whisk without slinging dressing over the sides.
Tip
Use a light hand and a bowl bigger than you think you need. Whisking in a cramped bowl throws dressing everywhere.
Stir in two teaspoons of Dijon mustard and two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. The Dijon adds a little tang and helps the dressing hold together. Worcestershire brings that savory, umami depth that makes Caesar taste like Caesar, and it does the job anchovies would do if you skip them.
Grate two garlic cloves straight into the bowl with a microplane. Grating instead of chopping means the garlic melts into the dressing with no hard bits to bite into. A garlic press works just as well if that is what you have. Fresh garlic here makes a real difference over the powdered kind.
Tip
Grate the garlic last so it doesn't sit and turn sharp. Fresh in means fresh flavor.
Add a half teaspoon of fine sea salt and grind in a half teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Freshly cracked pepper has more bite than the pre-ground stuff, so use a mill if you have one. Season now and you can still taste and adjust at the end once everything comes together.
Squeeze three tablespoons of fresh lemon juice into the bowl, which is about one large lemon. A handheld press gets every drop and keeps the seeds out. The lemon brightens the whole thing and cuts the richness of the mayo and cheese. Bottled juice works, but fresh really is worth the squeeze here.
Pour in a half cup of mild or extra light olive oil while you whisk. Go slow and keep the whisk moving so the oil blends in smoothly instead of sitting on top. Skip extra virgin here, since it can taste bitter in a dressing. The dressing will thicken up and turn glossy as the oil works in.
Tip
A thin, steady stream of oil while whisking is the trick to a smooth, thick dressing that won't separate.
Whisk in a half cup of freshly grated parmesan. This is what gives Caesar dressing its salty, savory backbone. Grate your own off a block if you can, since the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking powder that keeps it from melting in cleanly. Keep whisking until the dressing is smooth, thick, and creamy.
Pour the finished dressing into a mason jar. Give it a taste and adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon if you want. It keeps in the fridge for about a week, so make a batch and you have dressing ready to go. Pour it over crisp romaine with croutons and shaved parmesan for a proper Caesar.
Tip
Store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. Shake before each use since it can settle a little as it sits.
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Question 1 of 5
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5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.What makes this Caesar dressing creamy without any raw egg?
Answer: A base of mayonnaise
Mayonnaise gives the dressing its creamy body and skips the raw egg a classic Caesar uses.
2.Why grate the garlic with a microplane instead of chopping it?
Answer: It melts into the dressing with no hard bits
Grated garlic blends in smoothly, so you never bite into a sharp chopped piece.
3.The recipe calls for mild or light olive oil instead of extra virgin because...
Answer: extra virgin can taste bitter in a dressing
Extra virgin olive oil can turn bitter when whisked, so a milder oil keeps the flavor clean.
4.What is the trick to whisking in the oil so the dressing stays smooth and thick?
Answer: Pour it in a thin, steady stream while whisking
A slow, steady stream lets the oil emulsify into the base instead of sitting on top.
5.Why grate parmesan off a block rather than using the pre-shredded kind?
Answer: Pre-shredded has anti-caking powder that will not blend in smoothly
The anti-caking coating on pre-shredded cheese stops it melting cleanly into the dressing.
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