My good friend Suzy asked me what salad dressing I made when I was in LA ... to be honest a combination of age and alcohol means that I can't remember. However here is one of my favourite sources of inspiration for simple basics like this.
Alice Waters: her book, “The Art of Simple Cooking,” explains why simple food is often the best.
This is her simple approach to salad making.
I think that the really clever (and new to me) bit is the combining of the salt with the vinegar before adding the oil....it really does work
I usually use lemon juice rather than vinegar but its up to you
My only other tip would be to put the dressing in the bottom of the bowl you are serving in and then put the leaves on top an turn gently with your hands until all the leaves are lightly covered rather than pouring the dressing over the leaves after they are in the bowl.
Vinaigrette
This is the sauce I make most often, and if it’s made out of good olive oil and good wine vinegar, it’s the best salad dressing I can imagine. At its simplest, vinaigrette is a mixture of vinegar and oil in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to about 3 or 4 parts oil. Start by estimating roughly how much vinaigrette you will need. This depends on what you’re using it for; a quarter cup is more than enough for four servings of green salad, for example, but you really never need to measure out exact amounts. Start by pouring the vinegar into a bowl. Dissolve a pinch of salt in it and taste for balance. The salt has a real relationship with the vinegar. When you add just enough salt, it subdues the acid of the vinegar and brings it into a wonderful balance. Try adding salt bit by bit and tasting to see what happens. How much salt is too much? How much is too little? What tastes best? If you add too much salt, just add a touch more vinegar.
Grind in some black pepper and whisk in the oil. The vinaigrette should taste brightly balanced, neither too oily nor overly acidic. Adjust the sauce, adding more vinegar if you’ve added too much oil, and more salt, if it needs it.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Pour red wine vinegar into a small bowl.
Add the salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
Stir to dissolve the salt, taste, and adjust if needed. Use a fork or small whisk to beat in the extra-virgin olive oil, a little at a time.
Taste as you go and stop when it tastes right.
TIPS
For variations:
* Add a little puréed garlic or diced shallot, or both, to the vinegar.
* White wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or lemon juice can replace some or all of the red wine vinegar.
* Beat in a little dijon mustard before you start adding the oil.
* For part of the olive oil, substitute a very fresh nut oil, such as walnut or hazelnut.
* Heavy cream or crème fraîche can replace some or all the olive oil.(not sure about this one BC)
* Chop some fresh herbs and stir them into the finished vinaigrette
Alice Waters: her book, “The Art of Simple Cooking,” explains why simple food is often the best.
This is her simple approach to salad making.
I think that the really clever (and new to me) bit is the combining of the salt with the vinegar before adding the oil....it really does work
I usually use lemon juice rather than vinegar but its up to you
My only other tip would be to put the dressing in the bottom of the bowl you are serving in and then put the leaves on top an turn gently with your hands until all the leaves are lightly covered rather than pouring the dressing over the leaves after they are in the bowl.
Vinaigrette
This is the sauce I make most often, and if it’s made out of good olive oil and good wine vinegar, it’s the best salad dressing I can imagine. At its simplest, vinaigrette is a mixture of vinegar and oil in a ratio of 1 part vinegar to about 3 or 4 parts oil. Start by estimating roughly how much vinaigrette you will need. This depends on what you’re using it for; a quarter cup is more than enough for four servings of green salad, for example, but you really never need to measure out exact amounts. Start by pouring the vinegar into a bowl. Dissolve a pinch of salt in it and taste for balance. The salt has a real relationship with the vinegar. When you add just enough salt, it subdues the acid of the vinegar and brings it into a wonderful balance. Try adding salt bit by bit and tasting to see what happens. How much salt is too much? How much is too little? What tastes best? If you add too much salt, just add a touch more vinegar.
Grind in some black pepper and whisk in the oil. The vinaigrette should taste brightly balanced, neither too oily nor overly acidic. Adjust the sauce, adding more vinegar if you’ve added too much oil, and more salt, if it needs it.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Pour red wine vinegar into a small bowl.
Add the salt and fresh-ground black pepper.
Stir to dissolve the salt, taste, and adjust if needed. Use a fork or small whisk to beat in the extra-virgin olive oil, a little at a time.
Taste as you go and stop when it tastes right.
TIPS
For variations:
* Add a little puréed garlic or diced shallot, or both, to the vinegar.
* White wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or lemon juice can replace some or all of the red wine vinegar.
* Beat in a little dijon mustard before you start adding the oil.
* For part of the olive oil, substitute a very fresh nut oil, such as walnut or hazelnut.
* Heavy cream or crème fraîche can replace some or all the olive oil.(not sure about this one BC)
* Chop some fresh herbs and stir them into the finished vinaigrette
Comments