My Dad Has Made This One Recipe Every Summer for Over 50 Years

An Allrecipes Allstar shares her father’s recipe secrets.

If you are lucky enough to have a perfect Caesar dressing recipe in your family, you are lucky enough. That’s how the saying goes, right? Allrecipes Allstar Traci Eshleman would know; she’s been making her father’s famous homemade Caesar dressing for years. Any salad adorned with his perfectly balanced dressing is tasty, but add his ingenious swap for traditional croutons and you have something sensational.

Dad's Secret to the Best Caesar Salad Dressing

But first, let’s talk about the fundamental secret to a dressing that has been in Eshleman’s family for more than 50 years: Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise. Most traditional Caesar dressings start with egg yolks that are emulsified with oil; but that’s essentially mayonnaise, Eshleman’s father argued. By leaning on ready-made mayo, the dressing is not only easier for the average home cook, it’s also better from a food safety standpoint since store-bought mayo is made with pasteurized eggs. A win-win.

From there, the rest of the ingredients are all familiar–fresh lemon, anchovies, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, freshly cracked black pepper, and an ample amount of real Parmigiano-Reggiano—but it’s the proportions that make Dad’s personal recipe stand out. The best part? The store-bought mayo will ensure the dressing stays emulsified without too much separation, so you can feel free to make a big batch to keep stocked in the fridge.

Dad's Secret to the Best "Croutons"

Next up, the crispy crunchy topping. Eshleman learned from her father to drop the boring, somewhat stale croutons and replace them with super crunchy panko breadcrumbs instead. She toasts the panko in a bit of butter and grated garlic, stirring until they are lightly golden brown and the garlic is fragrant. Then she sprinkles this all over the salad, which brings the perfect pop of crunch to each and every bite.

An Allstar Secret to the Best Salad Greens

Finally, some flair. While her father’s classic Caesar salad was hard to improve upon, Eshleman was inspired by a local restaurant to try grilling the romaine lettuce and she’s never looked back. If you are baffled by the concept of putting fresh greens on the grill, consider this: At about 95% water content, there isn't a ton of flavor going on. Plus, romaine, as far as lettuces go, is actually quite sweet. When kissed on the grill for just a few minutes, the edges of the leaves began to caramelize, which accentuates the inherent sweetness even more. When done correctly, the romaine will retain its crunch, and take on a pleasant smoky flavor.

For those who might be intimidated by placing delicate greens on a hot grill, Eshleman has a really easy method for ensuring success. First, make sure to use fresh, crisp romaine; hearts that have been in the vegetable drawer for a few weeks will not work well on the grill. Also, keep the root intact. Simply cut the head of romaine in half lengthwise, then trim off the ends once the lettuce has been grilled. This will keep the lettuce together while it cooks, and also make it easy to maneuver on the grill.

“We usually place the grill on medium to high heat; you want it hot enough to sear the lettuce quickly,” Eshleman says. Once the grill is hot, she brushes both sides of the lettuce with olive oil to prevent sticking, then grills the romaine cut side down with the lid up for two to three minutes, or until the edges of the leaves begin to char and caramelize. Then, she flips the romaine over and grills for an additional one to two minutes on the other side.

“Be careful not to overcook; you want the lettuce to be slightly charred but still crisp in the center,” Eshleman says. Off the heat, she immediately seasons the lettuce with salt and pepper to really accentuate the flavor.

Here’s how to make the dressing and the crunchy panko topping!

Dad's Caesar Salad Dressing

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 2 anchovy filets, minced

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

• Kosher salt, to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, anchovies, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.

Crispy Crunchy Garlic Breadcrumb Topping

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium skillet, heat the butter, olive oil and garlic over low heat until the garlic becomes fragrant and sizzles (be careful not to burn the garlic). Add the breadcrumbs salt and pepper and toss to coat. Increase the heat to medium high and cook until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Read the original article on All Recipes.