Caesar salad won't be boring if you add 1 unusual ingredient

Summer is in full swing, and with soaring temperatures, eating certain food can have a tiring and uncomfortable effect on your body as you fight the heat. Many people will swap heavy and hot meals for refreshing fruits, sushis, and naturally, all sorts of salads. Moreover, there is one type of salad that remains particularly popular.

Caesar salad is an iconic summer dish that is quick to throw together for lunch. And while its ingredients are relatively simple to put together, there are ways to elevate this delicious classic.

The traditional Caesar salad consists of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lemon juice (or lime juice), olive oil, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan and black pepper. It was created in 1924 by Caesar Cardini at Caesar's in Tijuana, Mexico, when the kitchen was overwhelmed and short on ingredients.

Nevertheless, the salad's simplicity may bore you after a couple of times indulging in the green dish. Luckily, one particular ingredient has been revealed to be a total game-changer.

According to award-winning culinary creator Peter Som, adding fish sauce to your Caesar salad is a 'secret weapon' worth testing. "Caesar salad is one of my favorite [sic] salads and let's face it- it's all about the dressing," Peter explained on hisofficial website.

"So salty, tangy, cheesy and creamy- and fish sauce is our secret weapon," he added. "Let's get our flavor chase on [sic] with fish sauce."

According to the Spruce Eats, good fish sauces are made from a mixture of fish and salt that has been allowed to ferment for up to two years. Traditionally, oily fish such as anchovies are placed in a barrel with salt and slowly pressed to extract the liquid.

The cooking website further explains that despite its widespread use and primary identification with Asian cuisine, fish sauce is believed to date back to the ancient Greeks. The ancient condiment is so flavourful that you can replace your salad's anchovies with it altogether.

"I had the best Caesar salad at a friend's house, and she revealed her secret is using fish sauce instead of anchovies," a foodie told Buzzfeed. "I was floored and jealous I didn't think of it first, but now I've adopted this flavor [sic] hack as my own."

How to replace anchovies with fish sauce

While a multitude of fish sauces are crafted using anchovies, it doesn't mean you can swap these two ingredients on a one-for-one basis, as per Eating Well. Fish sauce generally boasts a more robust and intricate flavour than anchovies, so when making the switch, experts recommend introducing the fish sauce gradually.

Recipe writer Christie Rotondo suggests adding roughly ¼ to ½ teaspoon of fish sauce for each anchovy required in the recipe, tasting as you go to ensure the fish sauce harmonises well with the other components. Additionally, if your recipe calls for extra salt or other high-sodium ingredients, or additional umami-rich elements like Worcestershire sauce (which also contains anchovies), taste your dish before incorporating them.