Red Fat/Cal Russian Dressing

[Joyce]

I have made my own russian dressing for years (yummy on roast beef sandwiches). Just mix low fat or fat free mayo and catsup to your liking, add a little pickle relish, salt & pepper and you're all set.

[Grace]

Joyce's recipe sounds like Thousand Island dressing to me - my husband likes Russian, and I thought it was more like a French dressing? Maybe I'm wrong......can someone tell me what the difference between Russian/French/Catalina, etc. is?

[emilycat]

Grace, I was curious about this, too --
This is what I found from epicurious:

French Dressing:
1. A simple oil-and-vinegar combination, usually seasoned with salt,
pepper and various herbs. This classic dressing is also referred to as
VINAIGRETTE. 2. A commercial American dressing that is creamy, tartly
sweet and red-orange in color.

Russian Dressing:
Actually American in origin, this salad dressing includes mayonnaise,
pimiento, chili sauce (or ketchup), chives and various herbs. Some
think that the "Russian" title comes from the fact that earlier versions
of this dressing contained CAVIAR, for which Russia has long been
famous.

Thousand Island Dressing:
A MAYONNAISE-based salad dressing made with CHILI SAUCE and finely
chopped ingredients such as stuffed green olives, green peppers,
pickles, onions and hard-cooked egg. Thousand Island dressing is also
sometimes used as a sandwich spread.

And I believe that Catalina dressing is just a tangier version of the Americanized French one.


[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 05-08-2001).]

[escondite]

Thanks for your input. That was fast. I tried epicurious but was unable to find it under Russian Dressing and then I got distracted. Thanks again!

[ellielk]

I found this recipe on the foodtv site from a reuben sandwich recipe.

Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine

Russian dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

[Grace]

Thanks Em! I was definitely confused about Russian. Apparently it's nothing like French. See, just goes to show, you learn something new every day!

[lorilei]

Hmm... this really is a quandry. What do you suppose is going on?

I have a recipe here that looks an awful lot like the Russian dressing Grace is thinking of... and it's called "Russian Dressing".

1/4 cup cider or rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup chili sauce (I use Heinz)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons grated white or yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil

Combine all the ingredients, except for the oil, in a blender or food processor. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes. Turn the processor on again; slowly add the oil, blending it very well.


And then again, I have another one here that calls for horseradish, beets and caviar!!

[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 05-08-2001).]

[emilycat]

lorilei,

I think the recipe you posted is perhaps something that's much more likely from Russian origin -- the others are completely American.
Maybe?

[ewatkins]

I'm still trying to figure out what "red fat" is! Just kidding, but it did take a minute. In my family, we have always referred to a simple vinaigrette as "French dressing". My dad is furious when he gets that "red stuff" in restaurants. I have trained him to ask for "Italian"--aren't names funny?

[escondite]

I'm unable to find a premade version in the supermarket and would like to make my own. Any ideas, recipes? Thanks a bunch.