Creamy Green Goddess Dressing

In 1923, a chef at San Francisco's Palace Hotel created this dressing to honor George Arliss, an actor starring in a play called The Green Goddess. The dish outlived both the play and its star by a century. That tells you something about where Americans place their true loyalties.

Green Goddess fell out of fashion sometime in the 1970s, replaced by ranch and a parade of vinaigrettes. Now it returns, appearing on menus from coast to coast, drizzled over grain bowls and spread on sandwiches. The revival is deserved. This is a dressing of serious purpose: creamy enough to cling, bright enough to awaken, complex enough to reward attention.

The anchovy is essential. I know this causes panic in certain quarters. Trust me. When properly incorporated, anchovy provides depth and salinity without any trace of fishiness. It is the invisible foundation, the reason your guests will ask what makes this dressing taste so complete. You may tell them or not, as you prefer.