Turn All The Makings Of Caesar Dressing Into A Flavorful Compound Butter

Caesar salad contains a number of ingredients that has given it its iconic status today — the crunchy croutons, crisp romaine lettuce, and delicate shavings of parmesan. However, you cannot have the salad without its savory dressing. It has a delectable flavor that we love to explore outside of salad alone. To do that, turn the Caesar dressing ingredients into compound butter.

Since Caesar salad is only made up of only three simple components, it takes a really good dressing to be catapulted to the level of fame that these salads have obtained. While there are great store-bought Caesar salad dressings on the market, they're simply incomparable to one that's freshly made. Made up of anchovy filets, capers, garlic, egg yolk, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice, the dressing is rich, tangy, and has the perfect flavor to amp up a host of other recipes.

The key to making a Caesar dressing compound butter is to mix the aforementioned ingredients with a stick of butter before rolling it into a log with plastic wrap and allowing it to harden in the fridge. Not only does it provide food with a more savory taste, but the briny bites of capers and salty pieces of anchovy are also sure to amp up any dish with an interesting texture. If you'll be cooking with compound butter, however, opt for anchovy paste to mix it with butter more easily.

Amping up a Caesar salad with protein is one of our favorite ways to eat the dish, especially when that protein of choice is steak. The meaty flavor balances out the tangy, pungent dressing well and complements the umami parmesan. Rather than using steak to elevate the salad, use the compound butter to cook your steak. You can also add a pat of the fat onto a freshly made steak, allowing it to melt and reveal delicious pieces of minced garlic and salty capers. Finish off the dish with a side of shoestring garlic parmesan fries.

Buttered noodles are another classic comfort meal, but with Caesar compound butter, you can boost this easy dish with something that tastes much more luxurious. After boiling and draining a pot of spaghetti, melt the Caesar butter in a pan and toss the noodles in them. Top off the dish with lemon zest, dried parsley, or extra parmesan before serving.

For double the flavor, you can use the compound butter when making grilled chicken Caesar salad. Before cooking the chicken, marinate it with the butter to bring the delectable taste of the dressing to every single bite of your Caesar salad. The fat also comes in handy when whipping up Caesar salad lettuce spears. Rather than using olive oil to toast the breadcrumbs, opt for the compound butter to give the dish a more potent flavor.