The Hirshon Thousand Island Dressing

Citizens, it pains me beyond measure to know that Thousand Island dressing – once a rich and noble salad dressing both piquant and delicious – has now degraded to simply mayo and ketchup with a bit of relish thrown in it.

A sad state of affairs that TFD aims to fix once and for all, putting this delicious dressing high up on its rightful pedestal.

This dressing was a deli staple back in the day and deserves a resurgence to its noble pedigree!

I have based my version of Thousand Island dressing recipe on the original favorite for over 50 years in Alexandria Bay, NY – in the heart of the Thousand Islands region that gave this dressing its name.

Supposedly, the origin goes like this:

Story goes, in the early 20th century, a fishing guide’s wife, Sophie Lalonde, made the condiment for her husband’s shore dinner.

The actress May Irwin liked it so much she requested the recipe.

She in turn, gave it to another Thousand Islands summer visitor, George Boldt, who was the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Boldt then directed his world-famous maitre d’, Oscar of the Waldorf, to put it on the hotel’s menu at once.

Note that it makes 1 quart (32 ounces) of dressing, so either halve it or store the remainder in the fridge for sandwiches or other salads.

I’ve very gently tweaked the recipe to include chili sauce and Tabasco, as I find it brings all the flavors together into a spicy and harmonious whole.

Enjoy, Citizens: whether on a salad, a Reuben or a turkey breast sandwich on rye. 😀

Battle on – The Generalissimo