The Caesar Salad
Egg yolk, oil, anchovy, lemon. It is a hand-whisked emulsion.
Timing note: 15 min
The Caesar Salad
Egg yolk, oil, anchovy, lemon. It is a hand-whisked emulsion.
Timing note: 15 min
The Key Move
This is the most bastardized recipe in the world. Bottled dressing is trash. A real Caesar is an emulsion created in the bowl. The creaminess comes from raw egg yolk and oil, not mayonnaise. The flavor comes from anchovies, which Cardini actually opposed (he used Worcestershire), but we use them because we aren't cowards.
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The Setup
- Large Wooden Bowl
- Whisk
The Mise en Place
5 of 10Your prep station before cooking begins
The Base (0/3)
The Emulsion (0/4)
Dressing is runny.
You didn't whisk hard enough or added oil too fast. Add a teaspoon of warm water and whisk again.
Lettuce is soggy.
You didn't dry the lettuce after washing. Water repels the oil-based dressing.
Watch the Technique
Video source: YouTube
The Method
PASTE
Prep aheadIn a large wooden bowl, MASH garlic, anchovy, and salt into a paste using a fork or pestle.
The salt acts as an abrasive to break down the garlic fibers. • Uniform greyish paste • Smells pungent
Paste should be uniform and greyish.
BIND
Whisk in egg yolk (1 large), lemon juice (1 tbsp), and Dijon.
The yolk provides the lecithin needed for the emulsion. • Smooth, creamy yellow base
Mixture looks smooth and creamy yellow.
STREAM
Time-sensitiveDrop by drop, WHISK in the oil. Pitfall: If you pour too fast, the sauce breaks (separates). Go slow.
Slow addition is key to keeping the oil droplets dispersed. • Pale yellow, thick like heavy cream • Thickens significantly
Breaking: Add fat slowly while whisking to keep it smooth. Too fast can split the sauce.
It should turn pale yellow and thick like heavy cream.
TOSS
Add parmesan. Toss lettuce leaves with your hands to coat every inch. Top with croutons (1 cup) and plenty of black pepper.
Hands are the best tool for gentle tossing. • Glistening coated leaves
Every leaf is glistening with dressing.
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