French dressing

The familiar creamy, orange-red French dressing is usually an emulsion of oil, vinegar, tomato or ketchup, mustard and a little sugar. Recipes differ, but it is generally sweeter and thicker than a simple vinaigrette.

Whisk one part vinegar with a spoonful of ketchup, a little mustard and sugar, then slowly whisk in three parts oil until creamy. Season with salt and pepper; shake it again just before serving if it begins to separate.

Its sweet, tangy flavour suits crisp lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber and tomato, and it is often used on chopped salads with egg or cheese. Drizzle it over the salad just before serving so the leaves stay crisp.

Keep a commercial bottle refrigerated after opening if its instructions say to do so, and use a clean spoon when serving. Homemade French dressing should be covered and refrigerated; shake it before use and discard it if its smell or appearance changes.

For a similar sweet, creamy result, use Thousand Island dressing; for a sharper, less sweet salad, use a vinaigrette. If using vinaigrette, start with less, as its thinner texture coats leaves differently.

Not usually: French dressing commonly means the sweet, tomato-coloured bottled dressing, while French vinaigrette is an oil-and-vinegar dressing, often flavoured with mustard. The names can be used differently between recipes and products.