Sunday, August 28, 2011

Papa's French Dressing

My family has always been all about food.  My grandfather Edward Ptacek Sr. was a huge influence with me and my culinary devotion.  He is the one that got my mom going and in turn me from her.  He cooked for a huge family, and put his heart and soul into it.  I was at the store with my cousin the other day and we were craving some of Papa's dressing.  This is nothing fancy, but I have adjusted it a little from his original.  Every time I taste it I get taken back to the house on Marshfield, sitting at the table, making sure my elbows did not touch the table and sharing a meal with my grandparents.  He would pull this dressing out of the fridge in a huge mason jar that had garlic cloves suspended in it....  Sorry I started drooling.  Anyway here you are.

  • 2ea Campbell's tomato soup 10 3/4oz each
  • 350ms Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 20g Kosher salt
  • 2g Szeged Hungarian Paprika
  • 20ml Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2g Tellicherry black pepper ground
  • 2g Colman's mustard powder
  • 800ml Vegetable oil
  • 6g celery seed
  • 169g Spanish onion finely minced
  • 10g garlic minced using a micro plane
  • 20g local honey
  • 3 ea clove garlic, one for each jar lightly crushed.
Mix all ingredients except for the oil and the garlic together in a large bowl.  Pour the oil slowly into the bowl while whisking quickly to emulsify the mixture.  Portion the dressing out between Mason jars.  Place one extra clove of smashed garlic into each jar for extra flavor.

That is my Pappa on the left and Grandma on the right.  Miss them every day.  I know this is not the fanciest salad dressing out there, but this is my comfort food.  I have deviated from Pappa's original and I think that this is the best version.  Some of the Ptacek's may not agree with me.  I'm okay with that.  This is great on a salad with crisp lettuce, hard boiled eggs, bacon, peas, and a little blue cheese crumble.  Wow I'm hungry, and for a fat guy to get hungry for salad that is saying a lot.  Time to go make the bacon to go along with this salad.  Remember, source local and love your meat!!!!

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