Receta Green Goddess Salad Dressing
How’s this for a request: A reader who lives in North Dakota enjoyed
our post about Thousand Island Dressing and its origins on the US/Canadian
border (See http://www.chewingthefat.us.com/2013/10/the-saga-of-thousand-island-dressing.html). Anonymously, said reader
commented that a restaurant in Mandan, North Dakota had closed, forever locking
the secret to their ‘absolutely divine’ version of Green Goddess dressing
behind their closed doors. The Captain’s Table version, “W” wrote, was a
mayonnaise and sour cream-based concoction. The comment finished “If you could
find the original Green Goddess recipe I’d be one happy partially frozen
No-Daker." This is the kind of challenge I love to take on. Although I had to ask myself if, in addition
to the lack of Green Goddess Dressing, there was also no Google in North Dakota. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about Green
Goddess’ origins and like so many food stories this one is fascinating.
Unlike so many recipes, there’s no doubt about the origin
of Green Goddess, a creamy mixture of mayonnaise, tarragon vinegar, tarragon, chives,
anchovies, green onion and garlic. Note the
absence of sour cream! But this is the original recipe which was created by
Chef Phillip Roemer at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco in 1923. Of course,
those pesky food historians have found the roots of the recipe, in, where else,
France. It’s pointed out that Green Goddess is awfully similar to the creation
of a chef in Louis XIII’s court for a “Sauce au Vert”. (Said sauce was served with green eel.) Nevertheless, this particular "Sauce au Vert" came from one great hotel kitchen. The Palace Hotel occupies a unique position in the history
of the Western US. It was first built in 1875 with a capacity for 1200 hotel
guests. It was by far the largest hostelry
in the West for years after it was built.
It was also a culinary
destination in a city that even then had a great reputation for food. The
Palace employed famous chefs starting with Jules Harder who was hired away from
New York’s Delmonico, the first real restaurant in the United States dating as
it did from 1830. Also invented at the
Palace was another dish you may find familiar:
Turkey Tetrazini, an homage to Opera Star Luisa Tetrazini who lived in
the hotel on a long-term basis.
The Garden Court The Palace was completely destroyed in the great San
Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906.
Its owner, a man named Frederick Sharon, vowed to rebuild and did so in
record time. The hotel reopened in 1909
with a memorable evening held under the dome of its magnificent Palm Court.
Today that space is called the Garden Court and lo and behold, for a grand
total of $15. you can enjoy its Farmer’s Market Salad topped with, you guessed
it, Green Goddess Dressing. The Green Goddess, made into a movie
What’s in a name?
Chef Roemer was charged with the menu for a 1923 banquet at the Palace
honoring actor George Arliss who happened to have the lead in a production of a
William Archer play entitled “The Green Goddess”. Over the years, hundreds of
variations of the recipe have appeared. That’s where ingredients like sour
cream—even Worcestershire sauce came into play. But the one I am sharing with you I know to be
legitimate. It’s from a woman named
Julie Murray, Chef Roemer’s granddaughter.
Murray wanted to see his recipe live on telling the San Francisco Gate
newspaper that what passes for the Chef’s classic recipe has little resemblance
to his original. When the chef died in
1936, the family kept the collection of recipes he’d created. Because, in addition to his post at the
Palace, the chef also taught cooking classes and wrote for the San Francisco
Call newspaper. The secrets to the recipe
were revealed in the San Francisco Gate and I am repeating them here:
Tarragon: There's
a double dose of this herb, not only from the fresh leaves, which when mixed
with parsley gives the dressing a vivid green color, but in the vinegar that's
flavored with the herb.
The greens: Escarole,
romaine and chicory are strong-flavored greens that complement and stand up to
the bold flavor of the dressing.
Wooden bowl: The
salad should be tossed in a wooden bowl, which is rubbed with garlic before the
greens and dressing are added; giving just a fresh hint of garlic. Here is the recipe. Original Recipe for Green Goddess Dressing by
Chef Phillip Roemer courtesy of his granddaughter, Julie Murray. Makes 4
generous cups
There
are many versions of Green Goddess dressing, including some that call for
avocado, additional herbs and different vinegars. This is the original version
from San Francisco's Palace Hotel chef Philip Roemer.
8 to 10 anchovy fillets
1 green onion
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 tablespoons minced tarragon
3 cups prepared mayonnaise
1/2 cup tarragon vinegar
1/2 cup finely snipped chives
-- Romaine
-- Escarole
-- Chicory
2 peeled garlic cloves, smashed
*Like Caesar Salad, Green Goddess Salad may be
garnished with cooked Chicken, Crab or Shrimp. Instructions:
Mince anchovies with green onion; transfer to a
bowl. Add parsley, tarragon, mayonnaise, tarragon vinegar and chives; mix well.
The dressing can be made ahead.
Just
before serving, clean and cut romaine, escarole and chicory into bite-size
pieces. Rub a wooden bowl with the garlic cloves, then add greens and toss with
enough dressing to coat. If desired, garnish with chicken, crab or shrimp.
Any
extra dressing - which can also be used as a dip for raw vegetables - will keep
for up to a week.