This is a North American mayonnaise-based salad dressing that is flavoured with tomato purée, chopped boiled eggs, and other seasonings. It is mostly obtained commercially. Kraft is a major seller of the bottled dressing. As well, the Inn where it was invented sells 5,000 bottles a year.
Oftentimes, the main different between Thousand Island Dressing and Russian Dressing is that Thousland Island has what looks like green pickle relish mixed in it, while Russian Dressing has chili sauce, and is a bit sharper in flavour.
Substitutes
Mayonnaise or miracle whip with a touch of ketchup for colouring and flavour, and a spoonful of green pickle relish mixed in. (Hey, no one said this was haute cuisine to start with…)
History Notes
The Thousand Islands are located in the stretch of the St Lawrence River between Eastern Ontario and Upper New York State. It was a popular vacation and fishing area for the American rich in the early 1900s.
A fishing guide’s wife, Sophie Lalonde, gave the recipe to an actress, who in turn gave it to another Thousand Island summer resident, George C. Boldt (who built the unfinished Boldt Castle in the area). Mr Boldt also owned the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York; he put the dressing recipe on the menu and from there, the rest is history.
Thousand Island Dressing was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s.
Kraft bottled Thousand Island Dressing was introduced into Australia in 1965.
