Plain Caesar Recipe

Prepare anchovy-garlic base

In a medium bowl, mash the chopped anchovy fillets and minced garlic into a smooth paste using the back of a spoon or a mortar and pestle. This creates the savory backbone of the dressing.

Emulsify dressing

Whisk the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, crushed green peppercorns, grated Pecorino/Parmesan, salt, and black pepper into the anchovy-garlic paste until combined. Slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil while whisking vigorously to form a smooth, slightly thick emulsion. Taste and adjust: add a little more lemon for brightness, salt if needed, or a pinch more peppercorns for bite. The final dressing should be creamy and pourable — about 3/4 to 1 cup total yield.

Cover and refrigerate the dressing at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Bring to cool room temperature before tossing with greens (cold dressing can slightly wilt delicate leaves).

Prepare greens and vegetables

Place 5 cups of washed and thoroughly spun dry spring mix into a large salad bowl. Arrange the thinly sliced radishes evenly over the greens. Scatter the halved Castelvetrano olives over the leaves.

Add shaved Parmesan

Using a vegetable peeler or a mandoline, shave about 1 cup of Parmesan into large ribbons and distribute them across the salad so each portion has noticeable cheese ribbons.

Grate egg yolks

Cook 2 large eggs to hard-cooked (about 9–10 minutes boiling). Cool immediately in ice water, peel, separate yolks from whites and discard or reserve whites for another use. Using a fine microplane or small grater, grate both yolks directly over the assembled salad so the yolk dust lightly coats the greens and cheese. This gives a rich, traditional Caesar-like finish.

Dress and toss

Start with 3–4 tablespoons of the prepared green peppercorn Caesar dressing and drizzle evenly over the salad. Gently toss with salad tongs until all leaves are lightly coated; add more dressing, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach your preferred coverage (about 4–6 tbs total for 5 cups of greens).

Finish and serve

Taste and finish with an additional crack of black pepper or a few crushed green peppercorns on top if desired. Serve immediately so the greens remain crisp.