Tracy's Caesar Salad Dressing

This recipe is very special because it only gets used once a year in our family for Christmas Eve dinner. Many Italian families celebrate with a feast of “7 fishes” (at least 7 fish dishes) that night and the anchovies in this we always counted as one dish. My sister Tracy would always be in charge of making this dressing when we were kids and as we got older and moved to different parts of the country it became a tradition to call her every year just before Christmas to get the recipe. Cooks Note: If you beat the egg with an electric mixer and slowly, very slowly drizzle in the oil it will begin to emulsify and result in a creamy thicker dressing but our family prefers the way it comes out just mixed by hand.

Yields enough for 1 large salad

• 1 ½ teaspoons FRESH GROUND pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 can flat anchovies
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon- must be fresh
• 2/3 cup grated cheese- we use Grana Padano but Parmiggiano-Reggiano is fine
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 teas kosher salt

Preferably using a mortar and pestle mash the garlic and then mash in the anchovies. (Use a garlic press if you do not have the mortar/pestle.) In a medium sized bowl beat the egg by hand and then slowly pour in the olive oil. Dissolve the salt in the lemon juice and then add it to the oil. Add the garlic and pepper next, and then lastly add the cheese. This will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge—be sure to cover the top with olive oil if you are going to store it.