Green Goddess Salad - American Classics

Jean AndersonWith this article, James Beard cookbook-hall-of-famer Jean Anderson begins a series of monthly columns that will feature America's great classic recipes. She starts with Green Goddess Salad.

This story begins back in 1920s San Francisco when British actor George Arliss, in town to star in a new hit play, The Green Goddess, settled into the posh Palace Hotel.

To honor Arliss, the Palace threw a banquet in its glass-domed Garden Court and served a recipe Executive Chef Phillip Roemer had created especially for the event -- a green salad, it turns out (how very California!). But what made this salad different was the dressing: mayonnaise whisked with anchovies and gobs of parsley, chives, and tarragon until the color of jade.

So what did Roemer call his new salad? You guessed it.

Soon Green Goddess Salad was the hit of the Garden Court, indeed of San Francisco and the state of California. To this day, it's served at the Palace where one of its restaurants -- Maxfield's -- features a Green Goddess Menu.

Like many American classics, Green Goddess Salad has evolved over time. The original dressing contained freshly made mayonnaise (no sour cream, now often added to lighten it) and mashed anchovy fillets (some modern versions substitute anchovy paste). Innovative cooks, moreover, have discovered that this creamy green dressing is superb ladled over grilled fish, tossed with cold boiled shrimp or lobster, even used to dress chicken salad, the current Palace Hotel favorite.

Today, Green Goddess is a salad-bar staple at restaurants across America though the dressing they serve usually comes in a bottle. Still, conscientious cooks prefer to make it from scratch.

And why not? With a food processor or blender, it's as easy as one, two, three.

Get the Green Goddess salad recipe.

If there's a particular American classic recipe you'd like Jean to showcase, let her know at jeanandersoncooks.com.