Russian Salad Dressing
Russian Dressing and Thousand Island Dressing are practically synonymous today, although originally Russian dressing was made with yogurt or sour cream, a tomato product, such as chili sauce, and caviar, with some pungency from horseradish. Pimentos, chives and/or other spices were usually added. It's thought to have originated in the 1880's-1900. The condiment was named when the ingredients typically included caviar, a food often thought of as Russian.
Thousand Island Dressing is usually mayonaise based, with ketchup, relish, pickles, onions or chopped hard boiled eggs (the islands) added. It's a variant of Russian dressing. There's conflicting stories about it's origin, most of them originating from upstate NY. Either dressing is used on the Reuben now but Russian was the original classic. It's become difficult to distinguish between the two dressings these days.
I ususally just mix together mayonnaise, ketchup and relish to taste when making this for a sandwich spread, such as Reubens.
Here is a recipe for a Russian Dressing, with the option of adding caviar.
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbl sweet pickle relish
2 Tbl black or red caviar (optional)
2 tsp snipped fresh dill
1 tsp minced capers
Whisk together all indredients, cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
When ready to use, whisk lightly and add to dress mixed green, cold vegetable, or shellfish salads.
Below are some early 20th century Russian Salad Dressing recipes. Notice that caviar was added in a later recipe:
7 May 1914, Clearfield (PA) Progress, pg. 10:
Russian Salad Dressing.
To make salad dressing in the Russian style take four tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise; add half a pimento, chopped rather finely. To this add half a dozen sprigs of chives, chopped fine, and stir. Take two tablespoonfuls of chili sauce and a dash of tarragon vinegar. Add to this mixture one tablespoonful of whipped cream. Whip again thoroughly and serve. This will be enough for four people.
14 June 1917, Boston Daily Globe, pg. 14:
RUSSIAN DRESSING
Mix well together 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and dry mustard and 1 tablespoon of chili sauce, then add gradually 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.
12 May 1918, Indianapolis (IN) Star, pg. 23?, col. 6:
The so-called Russian dressing which has been popular in recent years is made in various ways. A simple Russian dressing is made by adding four tablespoonfuls of chili sauce to the one cupful of mayonnaise and mixing well. A more elaborate Russian dressing is made as follows: Three-fourths cupful of thick mayonnaise, six tablespoonfuls of chili sauce, two chopped pimentos, one tablespoonful of chopped chives, one teaspoonful of chopped chow-chow, three teaspoonfuls of tarragon vinegar, one-four cupful of thick cream.
17 November 1923, Los Angeles Times, “Practical Recipes” by Chef A. L. Wyman, pg. II6:
G. G. L. Van Nuys, asks that we give recipes for a Russian salad dressing and a mild dressing for lobster salad.
For the Russian dressing mix in a cold bowl half a cup of mayonnaise, four tablespoons of chili sauce, four tablespoons of finely chopped sweet green peppers, three tablespoons of finely chopped white celery and four tablespoons of finely chopped pimentos. If liked, add one tablespoon of caviar.
