I didn’t need to make salad dressing.
But I needed to mash something.
And anchovies were the only thing in the fridge that looked like they deserved it.
So I crushed the garlic.
Pounded the fish into the cutting board like it owed me an apology.
Added lemon, mustard, mayo. Stirred like it was a ritual.
Her Highness would probably use a silver bowl.
I used a mug with a chipped rim and a fork.
What the Original Looked Like
Martha’s Caesar dressing is stripped down.
No egg yolks. No immersion blender. No parmesan in the mix—just garlic, anchovies, salt, lemon, mayo, mustard.
You mash the garlic with salt.
Add anchovies. Mash more.
Whisk with lemon juice, Dijon, mayo. Chill.
Done.
It’s not flashy. But it’s bold.
And it clings to leaves like it knows it belongs there.
What I Did Differently
Used three cloves of garlic.
Didn’t measure the lemon. Just squeezed until it smelled right.
Added a splash of anchovy oil from the tin. I won’t apologize.
Used Dijon from a packet we got with takeout last week. Worked fine.
The Way It Happened in My Kitchen
Mae walked in while I was mashing garlic and anchovies together with the back of a spoon.
She said, “That smells like something intense is happening.”
It was.
I whisked everything in the same mug I use for tea.
Didn’t chill it long. Just shoved it in the fridge while I ripped lettuce into the big blue bowl we only use when people are coming over.
No one was.
But I tossed the salad anyway.
Topped it with croutons I overbaked and shaved cheese that curled like a memory.
It tasted louder than I expected.
A Few Things I Learned
Anchovies aren’t scary.
Garlic always over-commits.
And Caesar dressing tastes like effort—even when it isn’t.
What I Did With the Extras
Poured it on romaine the next day. Ate it standing up.
Mae dipped fries in it. Said it was better than ranch.
I almost cried.
Would I Make It Again?
Yes.
Especially when I need to mash something small and make it mean something.
That’s As Much As I Remember
Still smells like garlic in here.
Not sorry.
if you want something thicker, i made martha’s blue cheese dressing once. messier. louder. kinda healing.
FAQs
yes. or it’s just lemon mayo. trust me.
sure. not in the base—but sprinkle it on your salad after. it belongs there.
Dijon. something sharp. something with backbone.
five days in the fridge. but mine never lasts more than two.
yes. and you should. the flavors deepen. like most things, with time.
Martha Stewart’s Caesar Dressing (Nell’s Version)
Description
A bold, briny Caesar dressing with garlic, lemon, anchovies, and just enough creaminess to cling to the day.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Crush the garlic. Mince it, then mash it with the salt until it turns to paste. Use a knife or mortar. Or whatever’s clean.
- Add the anchovies. Chop them fine, then mash into the garlic paste until it looks like something intense and murky.
- Whisk the dressing. In a bowl or a mug, mix the garlic-anchovy paste with lemon juice, mayo, and mustard. Whisk until creamy. Taste. Adjust.
- Chill it. Let it rest in the fridge for 15 minutes or longer. The garlic will mellow. You might, too.
- Serve it. Toss with romaine, spoon over grilled chicken, or just dip something crispy in and call it a meal.