Real French Dressing without Ketchup

A great “American” French dressing can be a wonderful thing. But somewhere along the line, cooks started putting ketchup in it. Ewwwww….Here’s my recipe for French Dressing without Ketchup (i.e., the way it should be).

American "French" dressing and a French vinaigrette. Photo by Richard Swearinger.

American French Dressing versus French French Dressing

(A little culinary lore. If you just want the recipe, skip on down to the bottom of this post.)

It's always been a conundrum to French food lovers: How did that thick, viscous red-orange dressing we serve in the U.S. came to be known as “French” dressing. After all, most food-lovers know that the most ubiquitous way to dress a salad in France is with a vinaigrette.

I might have solved this mystery. Or at least I have a theory.

An American “French” dressing (the red kind) is made with many of the same ingredients as a classic French vinaigrette: vinegar, olive oil, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Except…

What Is American “French” Dressing?

But here's the difference: The American "French" also includes:

* Sugar (historically, we like things sweeter than Europeans, which, incidentally, is why milk chocolate sells more here than dark chocolate).

* Paprika: This is how the dressing gets its color. Plus, it gives the dressing a little extra spice.

Another key difference is that the “American” French is generally thicker; homemade versions call for whirring it in a blender, which emulsifies and thickens the dressing. French vinaigrettes are thinner; they're usually whisked just until the oil and vinegar are blended together (but not thickened).

So. How did that paprika make its way into the dressing? And why did we decide to make it so thick? Here's where my theories come in.

Piment d'Espelette drying in the Basque Country, France. Photo credit: Photothèque Piment d’Espelette AOC

The Evolution of American French Dressing (A Theory)

I wonder if, somewhere along the line, an American foodie traveled to France and enjoyed a vinaigrette that had a little extra kick in it wrought by the wonderful Piment d'Espelette, a ground spice that's red (like paprika), but made entirely from a chile grown in and around the French Basque town of Espelette. It works beautifully in vinaigrettes.

The American foodie loved this dressing, but once home, couldn't get his/her hands on Piment d'Espelette, so used paprika instead. Everyone loved the dressing; it got passed around, then published in cookbooks, then used in restaurants, then bottled.

Why Is American French Dressing So Thick?

My theory:

Anyone who's worked in a restaurant over the years knows that oftentimes, the ubiquitous American dinner salad—that boring concoction of head lettuce, a cucumber slice, maybe a tomato and some shredded carrots—are usually plated in advance and refrigerated on trays so that the server can simply plop some dressing on it and serve it.

Vinaigrettes don't work well for this kind of salad. Vinaigrettes are best tossed with the leaves so that each leaf glistens with the dressing. The only dressings that work for a prepped-in-advance salad are thick ones, like Thousand Island, blue cheese, ranch, etc. So rather than tossing each salad to order (which would take too much time in this hyper-automated salad zeitgeist that, for some reasons, diners accept), the restaurateurs thickened the French dressing so it could easily be served in a plop atop the salad.*

That's my theory, anyway.

And yet, as much as I disparage that outdated-automated mode of restaurant salad making, I do like a good homemade American "French" dressing now and then. It really is a vinaigrette, with a little color and kick from paprika. And if you make it at home, you can cut down on (or omit) the sugar. I like serving it, especially, with salads composed of sturdier lettuces (butterhead is great!) and raw vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers). Save the clear French vinaigrette for your most tender lettuces. American French Dressing is also really good on a spinach salad with chopped eggs, raw mushrooms, and red onion.

An American French Dressing without Ketchup, Please

Note that many recipes for American French dressing call for ketchup. No thanks. I like the true midcentury versions, found in books like the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (1953) and the Joy of Cooking (1946). Let the record show that neither have ketchup.

Here’s my recipe, adapted from an early edition of the BH&G Cookbook:

3          tablespoons white wine vinegar
1          tablespoon sugar
1          teaspoon paprika
1          teaspoon Piment d’Espelette
1          teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2       teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1          minced garlic clove
3/4       cup vegetable oil

In a blender container, combine the vinegar, sugar, paprika, piment d’Espelette, mustard, salt, and garlic. With the blender running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream. Take at least 2 to 3 minutes to do this. Continue blending until the mixture is thick. Taste and add more salt or piment d’espelette if desired. This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 1/3 cups.

* Of course, these days, the best restaurants no longer do this, but rather make the salads fresh to order, tossing well-chosen greens with dressing as needed.