Classic French Salad Dressing

If you know me, you know that I love to dig for answers and history. Asking where and when recipes originated.

With French dressing, there are no definite answers to those questions. The dressing’s origins are not clear, but the consensus points to the United States. One of the first documented references comes from a 1907 cookbook, "Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing-Dish Dainties" by Janet McKenzie Hill. By sometime in the 1920s, bottled versions began to standardize the creamy, orange dressing we see today.

Here is my version of French dressing

Ingredients:

1/3 cup ketchup

1/8 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients

with a spatula to incorporate well.

Pour into an air-tight container and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Yield: Approximately 1 pint of sauce (half recipe shown).