Need help in removing "eggy" aftertaste in Caesar dressing

[PennyArcade]

Hi all

I have a problem with my caesar salad recipe. Everything tastes great until very end when the aftertaste has an "eggy" flavour.

I am wondering how to eliminate that. I coddle the egg for around 45-60 seconds and use both the yolk and white.

Do I have to use a fresher egg? use only the whites?

Any input would be appreciated!

 

[jennyema]

Dont use the whites. Leave the egg out or cook the yolk, either partially or completely. I sometimes use fully cooked yolks (when cooking for elderly folks -- to avoid any salmonella issues) and that really cuts doen on the eggy taste.

The egg yolk is there for taste, texture (body) and emusification. Using an egg white would be sort of pointless.

 

[Alix]

Because I cook for kids (and seniors) I don't use the egg. Instead I use about a tablespoon of commercial caesar dressing as an emulsifier. Try that.

 

[PennyArcade]

thanks for your input!

have another question: would baby greens or baby spinach do well as a substitute for romain lettuce?

 

[jennyema]

thanks for your input!

have another question: would baby greens or baby spinach do well as a substitute for romain lettuce?

in caesar salad ?

It wount be a traditional caesar salad without romain, but who needs tradition?

Spinach has a more assertive flavor than baby greens, but you can really use anything that you want.

 

[kitchenelf]

You can also use Egg Beaters or something similar - cuts out ALL concerns.


I use the whole egg or fewer yolks than whites - mine has always turned out just fine and I have never noticed an eggy taste. The egg is just a means to get the other ingredients to mix in easily with the lettuce.

 

[jennyema]

You can also use Egg Beaters or something similar - cuts out ALL concerns.

But Egg Beaters are just pasteurized egg whites. Caeser salad is made with egg yolk.

Some people use mayo (made from egg yolks) as a sub.

There is also powdered egg yolk.

I just cook the egg yolk.

 

[kitchenelf]

The original Caesar salad was made with whole eggs and I myself prefer it this way and if it's just a small group of people that I know I just use raw without the coddling - but I would also much prefer egg beaters to mayo. Mayo has a very definitive flavor and totally changes the taste while the egg beaters at least runs along the same lines as the whole egg. With mayo you just have a creamy mayo-based dressing. I have also, for dietary purposes of some guests, used 1 yolk and the rest egg whites - what you get is the flavor of the other ingredients and the egg white without the yolk can carry those flavor quite nicely. The original recipe also didn't have any anchovies - but I think they add a wonderful layer of flavor.

 

[Barbara L]

Re. eggs--From Snopes.com: "Caesar salads have no connection whatsoever to Julius Caesar, or indeed to any of the Caesars who ruled Rome and her far-flung empire. It instead honors Caesar Cardini, a famed restaurateur who invented the dish in Tijuana, Mexico, in 1924. His original recipe called for romaine, garlic, croutons, Parmesan cheese, boiled eggs, olive oil, and Worcestershire sauce. He was said to be staunchly against the inclusion of anchovies in the mixture, contending that Worcestershire sauce is adequate to provide the faint fishy flavor."

Barbara

 

[kitchenelf]

lmao - I would love to have seen Julius Ceasur whipping up a salad

 

[jennyema]

lmao - I would love to have seen Julius Ceasur whipping up a salad

I will stop after this ... I promise! But "classically" caesar salad relies on yolks for flavor and texture. IMO whites alone don't do it for me. But I add extra anchovies so ther may be something wrong with me.

 

[Ishbel]

No doubt wearing a 'pinny' over his toga? Olive oil is SOOO hard to remove from a woollen toga.

 

[kitchenelf]

Ishbel -

jenny - no argument here except I would love for you to show/tell me where I can find this info. One thing you can say about be - if I'm going to be wrong I'm going to be sure about it! I just can't find anything that says yolks only - I have found coddled eggs (some call it boiled but I think they mean coddled) but nowhere can I find just the yolk. Like I said, no argument just like backup if I'm going to "re-educate" my friends!

In my searches for this I have found some gastly variations!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I usually make my dressing with anchovies, capers, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, eggs, Parmesan, olive oil, red wine vinegar, oh and lots of garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon. Is this basically the way you make yours? I know, I know, yolks only!

I at least have convinced my friends that this was NOT named after Julius Caesar!!!!! ......and some think it was named after Caesar Romero (I nipped that in the bud real quick! lol)

Thanks for your info jenny - I will look forward to reading it.

 

[jennyema]

Caesar Romero -- was the the Joker? He was some kind of bad guy, right?


I will find info for you. But I should clarify that I am not saying that you can't use a whole egg. My point is that you need the yolk because that is what makes the dressing creamy and helps emulsify it (as well as for taste, which is how this whole thing started ). So you can use a whole egg or egg yolks but not just the white.

But I will find info on why you need the yolk from somewhere and someone somewhat authoritative. It may be at home though and I am at "work" right now. I seem to recall Lidia saying something about it (i use her recipe) but that would be in the book at home.

 

[kitchenelf]

I agree there needs to be yolk, I am under the assumption though that the original recipe included the whole egg - versus just the yolk. That's what I'm talking about.

Ceasar Romero = jokster - yes! lol

 

[PennyArcade]

Well, I made my caesar dressing and I would like to say that there was no eggy flavor this time and I didn't change a thing. Very tasty!

Maybe it was something wrong that I did last time.

Thank you all for your input!

 

[Claire]

It'll be a great salad, just call it something else. When you tell people you're feeding them a caesar, they have certain expectations: Romaine, olive oil, worchestershire or anchovy, garlic, croutons, parm. Nowadays, most people are cautious on the egg front (and I, too, cook for folk who may not be able to eat less than fully cooked egg). But when you REALLY deviate, just give it another name and make it your own. The last time I ordered a caesar salad (and thanks, Barbara, that's the story I was told as well) it had blue cheese, bacon, ham, and a lot of other ingredients in it, then they asked me what kind of dressing I wanted on it. Huh? It was a good salad, but not a caesar salad. If you're deviating a lot, then go for it, and then give it a new name. The other greens will be delicious, especially if that is what is best. Just .... rename it!

 

[AllenOK]

I've had to make Caesar dressing at both of the country clubs I've worked at.

The first one, the recipe called for 30 egg yolks (recipe yielded nearly 5 gallons). It also had red wine vinegar, anchovies, vegetable oil, lots of garlic, seasonings, worcestershire, etc.

The second recipe, the one I have to make now, calls for 2 qt of whole liquid eggs (recipe yields 4 gallons). It also has vinegar (can't remember which right now), anchovies, garlic, seasoning salt, and other stuff.