- Louis dressing
Louis dressing is a
salad dressing based onmayonnaise , to which has been added red chili sauce, mincedgreen onion , and minced green chili peppers. It is commonly used as a dressing for salads featuring seafood, such as aCrab (Crab Louis, the King of Salads) orShrimp Louis.The origin of the dressing is disputed. The "Olympic Club" in Seattle, the "Davenport Hotel" in
Spokane, Washington , "Solari’s Restaurant" and the "Hotel St. Francis" in San Francisco, and the "Bohemian" in Portland all claim to be the home of the dressing, with the invention in either the 1900s or 1910s. In all cases, the original salad was made withDungeness crab .Louis Coutard, chef of Frank's Rotisserie Restaurant and the Old Poodle Dog in San Francisco originated Louis Dressing, likely in the latter restaurant around 1908. The original recipe was:
1 part Olive Oil
1 part Chili Sauce
Fresh Chives, chopped to cook's touch (that means fine)
Fresh Parsley, chopped to cook's touch
1 part Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash Powdered Mustard
Lemon Juice to taste
Stir all together & serve quite chilled. Becomes quite tasty after several days of refrigeration. ["Sumptuous Dining in Gaslight San Francisco", Frances de Talavera Berger and John Park Custis, Doubleday, 1985]
San Franciscans were just as likely to have Louis Dressing on a plain lettuce as on Dungeness Crab. Green Goddess Dressing also originated in San Francisco at the Palace Hotel, named after the lead character in a musical.
External links and sources
* [http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/SaladHistory.htm History of Salads and Salad Dressings]
* [http://www.thedavenporthotel.com/index.php?act=/dining/palmcourt]References
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