Classic Ranch Dressing

cooking.nytimes.com

The original dressing served in the 1950s at Hidden Valley Ranch, a guest ranch near Santa Barbara, Calif., was made mostly from dry herbs and aromatics. To recreate that taste, this recipe, from the “Ranch” cookbook (Dovetail, 2018) by Abby Reisner, with recipes by Eleanore Park, is made with garlic powder instead of garlic, dried parsley instead of fresh, and so on. It makes enough seasoning mix for about 4 cups dressing; you can mix it, store it, then add dairy as needed. If you don’t like the zip of mustard, try hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce instead — or simply omit for a milder taste. To make a thick dip instead of a pourable dressing, reduce the amount of buttermilk to ¼ cup. —Julia Moskin

Wings: Buffalo Chicken Wings

Servings: 4 to 5 cups dressing

subheading: FOR THE SEASONING MIX:

1½ teaspoons dried chives

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried dill

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon mustard powder (optional)

2 tablespoons buttermilk powder (optional)

subheading: FOR EACH CUP OF DRESSING:

½ cup chilled sour cream or mayonnaise

½ cup chilled buttermilk

Salt, to taste

For the seasoning mix: In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use; it will keep indefinitely.

To make 1 cup dressing: In a medium bowl, place 1 tablespoon seasoning mix. Add sour cream and buttermilk and whisk together until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days (or up to 2 weeks if made with mayonnaise).

Servings: 4 to 5 cups dressing

Page footer