My sister came to visit for a weekend recently, and as we buzzed around the kitchen prepping the meal for our family, she offered to make the salad. Never my favorite task, I was happy to cede this chore to her.
She threw together a seasonal array of greens, late-season tomatoes and red onions, but the dressing she made was a tour de force. It was tangy and creamy — and had plenty of zing — but wasn’t overpowering.
It contained just three ingredients (OK, five if you count salt and pepper) and came together with the whir of the blender in seconds flat. I now make it in larger batches as the mayonnaise jar start to empty — optimally, when there’s about a quarter of the jar left. If you don’t have lemons, you can substitute vinegar or pickle juice. And it’s best with fresh garlic, but I’ve made it with garlic powder in a pinch.
I toss this over salad regularly, but it is a delicious marinade for chicken, fish or meat, can be stirred into tuna or chicken salad, drizzled over salmon or cod cakes, or used as a dressing for potato or pasta salad.
Thanks, sis.
Lemon Mayonnaise Dressing
Makes about ½ cup
⅓ cup mayonnaise
Juice of 3 lemons
2 large cloves fresh garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Whiz until blended well and all the garlic chunks are pureed.
Use as desired; the dressing keeps for several days if sealed and stored in the refrigerator.