Select Page

From Boston With Love

Once I stepped outside Logan’s B terminal, the memory of what eighteen degrees feels like slapped me in the face. My eyes watered and my fingers froze as I texted with my daughter, who said she wouldn’t be able to get together until late that night. My Uber took forever to arrive; I was still chilled to the bone by the time I got to the Boston Fairmont Copley Plaza, a palatial hotel where my husband had snagged an amazing rate of $139 a night.

The hotel was eerily quiet, but I was greeted with good news at the front desk. “You’ve been upgraded to a deluxe room,” the receptionist told me.

The room was decorated in rich shades of silver and colonial blue, with a king bed, heavy draperies, a high vaulted ceiling, and a nice view of the neighborhood’s ancient architecture. There was only one problem: It was cold. I checked the thermostat: Sixty seven degrees. When it’s eighteen outside, sixty seven inside feels like a freezer.

I cranked up the heat, threw on my gym clothes, and started off toward the hotel’s fitness center, hoping that my room would be warm by the time I returned. Along the way, I admired historic documents that decorated the hallways. One in particular caught my eye: An announcement of the twenty-fifth anniversary dinner of the Sons of the Revolution. Along with the announcement hung the original menu:

Tomato stuffed with crab meat à la mayonnaise; cream of mushroom soup au soufflé; sea bass bonne femme; filet of beef with peas; squab guinea hen, stuffed – roti. Last but not least, there was a salad: Hearts of romaine with Russian dressing.

I was intrigued by the Russian dressing. It’s common on sandwiches but is less popular these days tossed with a salad. After a good workout, I returned to my room to research its history and ingredients. But the thermostat had barely budged. Ugh. Like I said, I can prepare for the cold. That doesn’t mean I can actually tolerate it. I called the front desk and was informed that the warmest rooms in the hotel were on higher floors and faced a different direction. I packed up and moved. My new room had a low ceiling, a smaller bathroom, less closet space and no view. But it was warm and cozy, so I was happy and got to work.

Over the next few frigid days, despite my preparations for the cold, I barely left the hotel. But thanks to a good internet connection, I learned a lot about Russian dressing. For one thing, the recipe did not originate in Russia, but in New Hampshire. It is sometimes confused with thousand islands dressing, but there are distinct differences.  Most importantly, I learned about the ingredients, which are way different than any dressing I had ever made before. The recipe I created likely diverts from the one enjoyed by the Sons of the Revolution, but its pungent, tangy flavors are sure to please. And, it doesn’t come from Russia, but from Boston, with love.

Additional resources:

Origins of Russian dressing; difference between Thousand Island and Russian dressing; ingredients in Russian dressing.

Romaine Hearts With Russian Dressing

There are two magic ingredients in this recipe and both are in the dressing.  Pickled pimientos  give the dressing a sweet, peppery tang.  That flavor is balanced against smoked paprika  which is a richer, spicier version of the more common sweet paprika.

russian dressing  russian dressing

30 min | Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad

  • 6 ounces ready-to-eat inner leaves of romaine lettuce
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
  • 1 small – medium avocado, sliced
  • 6 – 8 medium white mushrooms, sliced thin
  • 12 red cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • Optional: 4 – 6 teaspoons caviar
  • Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons pickled pimientos, chopped*
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, minced
  • 1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon tabasco
  • 1/8 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 4 – 5 tablespoons tap water

*Pickled pimientos are often carried by specialty grocery stores.  Check the olive bar.

Directions

Prepare salad ingredients: Place the lettuce in a serving bowl. Add about half of the hard boiled eggs, avocado, mushrooms and tomatoes, reserving the rest for garnish. Refrigerate the salad while you make the dressing.
Prepare the dressing: Place all of the dressing ingredients except the water in a blender. Blend until partially smooth. Add the water, a little at a time, blending until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste the dressing, and adjust the spices accordingly.
Assemble the salad: Toss the salad with a small amount of dressing. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Garnish with reserved hard boiled eggs, avocado, mushrooms and tomatoes. Drizzle additional dressing over the salad and dab it with bits of caviar, if desired.  Serve, and enjoy!

[share_buttons]

salad-every-day-bg

Subscribe for Fresh Salad Recipes

Join our mailing list to receive the latest recipes and updates from Salad Every Day.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This