# French dressing?



## Piccolina (Aug 14, 2005)

Hi all,

 I’ve scoured high and low but cannot find (store bought) French salad dressing here (Ireland)…well to be fare I can’t find anything that resembles the red/orange Kraft style of French dressing. What is often called “French dressing” here is often just a light herb vinaigrette (which is nice granted, but I’m after the orange creamy style).

 Does anyone have any homemade recipes for orange French salad dressings (or even Russian, which again I’d love to make – the red one preferably). Thanks everyone! 

 p.s.

 IMHO the best French dressing I’ve ever had in my life came from the “Old Spaghetti Factory” chain of restaurants – what about you guys?


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## marmalady (Aug 14, 2005)

Hve this one from Sam Choy, of all people!


HAWAIIAN FRENCH DRESSING

 ​makes 2 ½  cups

 

1 can tomato soup           
 2T.Maui onion chopped            
2tsp.mustard     
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup canola oil            
salt/pepper                               
1clove garlic
2/3  cup red wine vinegar                                         
2T. Worchestershire
½  tsp. dry mustard

 

Place all in blender and blend til smooth.  Keeps about 2 weeks.


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## ironchef (Aug 14, 2005)

I had to break out my old Garde Manger textbook, but here it is. We had to make this by hand, but you can use a food processor or blender.

*French Dressing*

*Yield: 1 qt*.

*Ingredients*:

1 egg, beaten
3/4 c. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. Garlic, finely mashed and minced
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Dry Mustard
2 tsp. Paprika
1 qt. Salad Oil

*Method*:

Combine beaten egg, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Whisk until incorporated. Add salt, dry mustard, and papprika. Whisk to incorporate, then let rest for 15 minutes. Slowly whisk in the oil.


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## Ishbel (Aug 14, 2005)

We have lots and lots of American brand 'dressings' in the UK - maybe you need to go to your nearest big town (I think you said you lived in deepest, rural Ireland?) - because I'm sure that any of the major supermarket chains in Ireland would also carry the same lines.

Kraft, Paul Newman and others are readily available.

A French dressing traditionally doesn't have anything in it to colour it 'orange' - the only colouring thing would be either the mustard or the redwine vinegar (if you choose to use it instead of lemon).


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## auntdot (Aug 14, 2005)

Hi ICadvisor,

Googled in 'Kraft French dressing copycat' and found all sorts of interesting recipes.

Agree with Ishbel, as usual.  Have been to the UK many times over many years.  When we first were lucky enough to be there, were thrilled that the supermarkets carried mostly British goods.

Now they carry so many US goods we find it hard to find authentic UK stuff, sigh.

Seems you should be able to find the red dressing in a large Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, etc.

Will be on your side of the pond in a couple of weeks and will check out the salad dressing section.  

If you do decide to make your own I suspect the secret ingredient is ketchup.

And if we find it in the UK will be in touch.


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## Shunka (Aug 14, 2005)

My Mom would make this using mayo, catsup (ketchup), a touch of dry mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. She would taste as she mixed this and it would turn out tasting much better than the store bought stuff.


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## Piccolina (Aug 15, 2005)

Hi all,

you guys are always sooooooo helpful (Why can't everyone everywhere be so helpful!)      



> I had to break out my old Garde Manger textbook, but here it is.


 Thanks, I appreciate it big time this recipe looks fab!



> We have lots and lots of American brand 'dressings' in the UK - maybe you need to go to your nearest big town (I think you said you lived in deepest, rural Ireland?) - because I'm sure that any of the major supermarket chains in Ireland would also carry the same lines.
> 
> Kraft, Paul Newman and others are readily available.


Hi Ishbel, I used to live in Dublin, and I was never able to find it (Kraft French) there either (believe me I spent days at a time combing every chain of grocery store for North American products, and honestly came up rather empty handed). England (as opposed to where I am, the Republic of Ireland) is privy to a lot (underline that one a few times) more brands/products than Ireland is, so I'm sure you have a number of the "usual" Canadian/US foods that I would give my favourite shoes for at this point.

There is Paul Newman here (a few kinds like caesar, ranch and oil & vinegar - and some of the pasta sauces). Likewise there are a few Kraft types of dressing but nothing as _"exotic"_ as ("American") French 

Thanks all, needless to say I'll be eating salad like a bunny this week!


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## AlexR (Aug 15, 2005)

*Terrible misnomer...*

I wonder who in the world first called that sweetish condiment "French dressing"?

Nothing like it exists in France!

Best regards,
Alex R.


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## Ishbel (Aug 15, 2005)

I think it was an American - because when I was a girl growing up in Scotland, we called the dressing vinaigrette!


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## AlexR (Aug 15, 2005)

*Exactly, Ishbel!*

I've lived in France for 27 years, and never came across anything remotely like it!

Alex


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## Ishbel (Aug 15, 2005)

But the American descriptive appears  now to be used all over the world.  Any ready-made vinaigrette appears now to be called French Dressing.  I don't get precious about what it's called, just that the bottled stuff often taste 'chemical-ly' to my tastebuds


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## AlexR (Aug 15, 2005)

*Description*

"French dressing" in the US is a sweet, tomato and mayonnaise-type sauce that one is expected to enjoy on lettuce.

Alex


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## Constance (Aug 15, 2005)

I tried to post on this thread yesterday evening, but I got up to go in the other room, and when I came back, I found my cat sitting on the keyboard of my laptop. I shooed her off, but couldn't get some of my letters to type. I finally figured out that she had managed to set the number lock, and after going through the instructions, finally figured out how to unlock it. Sheesh!

I make my own "French" dressing all the time by mixing Miracle Whip Lite, catsup, a dash of lemon juice and a shot of Worchestershire Sauce. It tastes lots better than the bottled stuff. 
While it is rather plebian in character, kids and vegetable hating husbands love it, and it's a good way to get them to eat salads.

Here's a recipe for Russian dressing:

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon minced onion or chopped chives

Preparation:
In small bowl, stir mayonnaise, chili sauce and minced onion until well mixed.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 15, 2005)

Constance - that's how I would make it also - equal parts of mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce or ketchup if you didn't have chili sauce.  To make it into Thousand Island you just add pickle relish.  I think Russian is the addition of chopped hardboiled eggs along with the pickle relish.

I'm sure a little onion juice, celery juice, white pepper versus black, salt, dry mustard would all enhance the creamy dressing and give it some depth.


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## marmalady (Aug 15, 2005)

Methinks that sweet red dressing may have been a 50's or 60's concoction here in the US?!


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## licia (Aug 15, 2005)

I remember those that were called "French" dressing, probably some of the first bottled here.  One that I really like in summer, but hardly ever get is "Catalina".  It has a very fresh taste if the salad is made up of lots of things and it isn't necessary to use much.  Most of the time I use a mix that my sister brought back from Germany - some with basil, parsley, and a few others I don't recognize the name, but they taste great.


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## kitchenelf (Aug 15, 2005)

marmalady said:
			
		

> Methinks that sweet red dressing may have been a 50's or 60's concoction here in the US?!



I agree marm - At least that's what marmalady and I were TOLD -


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