I discovered this unique recipe by Pete Scherer on the Food52 website. He had always loved making his own Caesar dressing, the proper way, but with a Vietnamese-American wife, he altered his recipe to include Asian ingredients. For example, he substituted fish sauce for the anchovies!
There isn’t any Parmesan included in this Vietnameser dressing recipe, but it can be included depending on your salad choice.
From the author: “Just like standard Caesar dressing, this variation is excellent with any kind of protein, from shrimp to chicken to hard-boiled egg. For a Southeast Asian alternative to croutons, try pan-frying shards of rice paper in a bit of oil until they puff and crisp, then scatter them on top of your dressed salad to add a pleasant crunch.”
The eggs and this dressing were wonderful together, as was the crunchy vegetable salad. I can’t wait to make a similar salad with salmon!
Vietnameser Dressing
1 small nub fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon kewpie mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Use a microplane to grate the nub of ginger and garlic clove. If you don’t have a microplane, use a knife to mince them as finely as possible. Add the ginger and garlic to a pint jar with a lid. Add the remaining ingredients to the jar, then close the lid tightly.
Shake vigorously for one minute to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I added some chopped cilantro on top for more color.
Drizzle over salad, or use as a dip for crudité.
These flavors are so wonderful. A perfect salad dressing recipe.
I used it on similar vegetable salads for a few days in a row, and I can’t wait to make it again!