Today's Case:
Kumback Sauce
Subject: Rotisserie sauce comeback sauce
From: Mary
To: Phaedrus
Date: 9/8/2025, 8:11 AM
On 9/6/2025 6:27 PM, Mary wrote:
Do you have their recipe? I have a version from my aunt, whose daughter worked for
John Dennery. The research I’ve seen stated one of the Dennerys made it at Rotisserie’s.
This is what I have, but real comeback really doesn’t have ketchup in it.
Thank you,
Mary
(Photo of recipe card)
Hello Mary,
First, I must take issue with your statement that "real comeback really doesn’t have ketchup in it." According to everything that I can find, the original, or "real" recipe for it is either a closely guarded secret or has been lost. So we don't know if there was any ketchup in it or not. We have good reason to say that Dennery made it with homemade mayonnaise and chili sauce, but we don't know the full recipe and we can't say that it didn't have any ketchup in it. There are dozens of recipes for it on the web, most with ketchup and a few with just chili sauce, and many with both. We don't have any idea about what was in Dennery's homemade mayonnaise, either.
Even "Southern Living Magazine" has ketchup in their recipe for it. See: Southern Living
So does the Oxford, Mississippi "Eagle": Oxford Eagle
If you must have a recipe without ketchup, try this one: Jo's Country Kitchen
Remember, though, the exact recipe that Dennery used is not available.
Google AI says this about the sauce:
"The name "Kumbak sauce" is a spelling variation of "Comeback sauce,"
a popular dipping sauce and salad dressing from Jackson, Mississippi.
The original sauce was invented in the 1920s at a Greek restaurant called
The Rotisserie.
The origin of comeback sauce:
The sauce was created by restaurateur Alex Dennery, who named it "Kum-Bak"
as a clever way to entice customers to "come back" to his establishment.
It became a signature house dressing for salads but is now famously served
with fried foods and as a dip for saltine crackers.
Key ingredients
The original recipe is a closely guarded secret, but it was based on homemade
mayonnaise with additions of chili sauce and garlic. Modern recipes are widely
available and generally include the following ingredients:
Mayonnaise
Ketchup or chili sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Lemon juice
Onion and garlic powder
Paprika
Black pepper
Hot sauce
Recipe variations
While the core components remain consistent, specific recipes can vary in
proportions and ingredients. For example, some recipes include shredded
onion and minced garlic instead of powdered versions, and some add a bit
of mustard. Different versions of the sauce also have slightly different levels
of spice, color, and tanginess, ranging from pale coral to burnt orange."
My previous on this:
Kumback Sauce
Comeback Sauce
Phaed
