From Cleo Coyle: Since my husband and I write culinary crime fiction, we thought it might be fun to share the recipe we first heard about through one of the most acclaimed crime dramas ever to air on television. Crime and recipes? Perfect for this blog, right?!
And so we give you...
THE MYSTERY OF FRANCH
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A Note from Cleo
Culinary mashups are common now, but back in 2012, the idea of marrying French and Ranch dressings to create "Franch" was new to the world (and us).
Franch was first mentioned in a Fifth Season episode of the Emmy Award-winning crime drama Breaking Bad, after which fans and bloggers had a grand old time trying to create versions of this new idea for a dressing and dip.
Marc and I did the same, and we loved the results. Franch is a creamy buttermilk dressing with a wonderfully light and tangy zip. It's great on salads, of course, but also as a dressing for sandwiches and burgers. Because of its pretty color, Franch also makes a nice party dip for raw veggies, crackers, chicken nuggets, fries, onion rings, chips, and wings. Best of all, when you serve it, you can share its fun foodie backstory.
According to Huffpost, Breaking Bad's acclaimed creator, Vince Gilligan, came up with the idea of Franch twenty years before he'd launched Breaking Bad, when he was writing another script, a comedy. He admits he "cannibalized" his own culinary idea for the famous Franch episode, which was broadcast July 2012. The episode's official title was "Madrigal," and it was the 48th episode to air of the popular series.
To see the famous "Franch" scene, which involves a
German company's taste-testing dipping flavors
for American fast-food consumers, watch the video
in the window above.
German company's taste-testing dipping flavors
for American fast-food consumers, watch the video
in the window above.
If you don't see the window above, view the clip on YouTube by clicking here.
As for the recipe itself, we give you two versions (below), the first is from scratch and the second is a shortcut version, using pre-made bottled dressings. With that culinary mystery solved, let's eat! ~ Cleo
VERSION 1 (Homemade)
Breaking Bad's Franch Dressing and Dip
This is our own homemade version of the Franch dressing and dip idea, first introduced to the world by Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. Try it on burgers, sandwiches, salads, or as a dip with chicken nuggets, wings, chips, raw veggies, crackers, fries, onion rings, or anything you'd typically pair with creamy ranch dressing. ~ Cleo
Makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dry)
3 whole scallions, minced (including the green part)
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon red hot sauce
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2/3 cup mayonnaise (more or less) to thicken
Directions: Blend all of the ingredient, except the lime juice and mayonnaise. Add the lime juice and blend again. Adjust spices for taste, and then add mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dressing reaches desired thickness. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Dressing will stay fresh for up to five days.
Criminally Easy
Franch Dip and Dressing
Cleo's Recipe Note: Although the original mention of this concept in Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad described it as "Half French dressing, half ranch," we found that ratio to be far too cloying. This is our version. It's a much better tasting Franch, and we think you'll agree. ~ Cleo
Ingredients
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dry)
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped (or ½ teaspoon dry)
3 whole scallions, minced (including the green part)
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons ketchup
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon red hot sauce
½ teaspoon cider vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2/3 cup mayonnaise (more or less) to thicken
Directions: Blend all of the ingredient, except the lime juice and mayonnaise. Add the lime juice and blend again. Adjust spices for taste, and then add mayonnaise, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dressing reaches desired thickness. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Dressing will stay fresh for up to five days.
VERSION 2 (Using Bottled)
Criminally Easy
Franch Dip and Dressing
Cleo's Recipe Note: Although the original mention of this concept in Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad described it as "Half French dressing, half ranch," we found that ratio to be far too cloying. This is our version. It's a much better tasting Franch, and we think you'll agree. ~ Cleo
Ingredients
2/3 cup of bottled Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup bottled French Dressing
Directions: Combine well and enjoy. Like the scratch version, this recipe works wonderfully as a salad dressing and makes an excellent dip for raw veggies, chicken nuggets, onion rings, and French fries. We even enjoy it as a sandwich spread, and it's quite tasty on hamburgers, too.
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2/3 cup of bottled Ranch Dressing
1/3 cup bottled French Dressing
Directions: Combine well and enjoy. Like the scratch version, this recipe works wonderfully as a salad dressing and makes an excellent dip for raw veggies, chicken nuggets, onion rings, and French fries. We even enjoy it as a sandwich spread, and it's quite tasty on hamburgers, too.
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| Click for the free recipe PDF. |
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Cleo - yum! Looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for this one. My grandkids will be very happy. ~ Daryl
ReplyDeleteThanks, Daryl!
DeleteThose poor Germans look so stressed!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really promising.
When you say to "blend" the ingredients in the from scratch version, do you mean mix (like a spoon or whisk) or actually blend in a blender?
Hi, Libby - You don't need a blender. A whisk is best but a spoon will do as long as all ingredients are blended into a smooth dressing. This Breaking Bad episode was particularly clever--and the character under stress, well, let's just say the "stress" he felt had nothing to do with new chicken nugget dips. ;) -- Cheers for dropping by today.
Delete~ Cleo
When I saw this I thought of my mom. She would make her own dressing with ketchup and Miracle Whip Light. Nothing else, just those two ingredients. She would have loved to know about the new Mayochup from Heinz, combining mayo and ketchup. She still would have preferred her own mix to any of the others. Yours sounds great. egoehner(at)roadrunner(dot)com.
ReplyDeleteEmily - Love the story about your mom. And, yes, condiment mashups are so common these days that major companies are bottling them. But years ago when Vince first thought up the idea of "Franch," and your mom did her own mayo-ketchup, they were on the culinary cutting edge. Who knew? Thank you so much for stopping by today. Again, love the story about your mom.
Delete~ Cleo
Well I'm going to have to try this combo! janestarcher(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane, we hope you enjoy it.
Delete~ Cleo