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March 14, 2013 Newsletter Salad Dressings: Vinaigrette Larousse Gastronomique defines "vinaigrette" as “a cold sauce or dressing made from a mixture of vinegar, oil, pepper, and salt, to which various flavorings may be added.” That's a starting point, but I think for most practical definitions, a good vinaigrette must also be wholly, or at least partially, emulsified. What is emulsion? Essentially, it’s when two substances that naturally want to separate (oil and water) are forced to mix and stay together. Unless you emulsify your vinaigrette, you end up with a pile of leaves dressed in oil and a pool of vinegar at the bottom of the salad bowl, completely destroying the flavor of the dressing. An emulsified vinaigrette, however, uses the power of surfactants to help both oil and vinegar cling together to the salad leaves. You get balanced flavor in every mouthful. “Surfactant? “ I hear you ask? Culinary surfactants are molecules that contain one end that is attractive to water (hydrophilic), and one that is attractive to oil (hydrophobic). Common kitchen surfactants include egg yolks, mustard, and honey. These are the ingredients that help bind the oil and acid and keep them together. A basic vinaigrette formula is as follows:  A 1:3 ratio of acid to oil (common acids = vinegars, wines, citrus juices, or a combination of these)  shallot, finely minced  garlic, finely minced  Dijon mustard (surfactant)  honey (surfactant, sweet to balance the sharp)  salt & pepper to taste The amounts of the shallot, garlic, mustard, and honey depend on how much dressing you want to make. If we assume that you want to make 2 cups of balsamic vinaigrette, your basic recipe will look like this:  ½ c. balsamic vinegar  1 ½ c. oil (olive, vegetable, or a mix of the two)  1 small shallot, finely minced  1 large (or 2 small) clove garlic, finely minced  1 T. Dijon mustard  1 T. honey  salt & pepper Method of Preparation: Grandma’s way: Add all ingredients to a glass jar with a tight‐fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine. (This temporary emulsion will last about 30 minutes. If it takes you longer than 30‐minutes to eat your salad, keep reading.) OR Continued on next page
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March 14, 2013 Newsletter Salad Dressings: Vinaigrette cont. My personal go‐to method: Add all ingredients to a deep container or 4‐cup‐measuring cup. Blend with a stick blender until completely emulsified. OR Great for larger quantities: In a blender, combine all ingredients except oil. Blend, while slowly drizzling in the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning. The two blender methods yield the finest emulsion, and these dressings will not break in the refrigerator. If using either of the two blender methods, there is no need to mince the shallot and garlic before blending. Blended dressing will be completely emulsified (bound together…no shaking required) and will stay that way. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a little hot water and blend to combine. Variations on this basic dressing include:  Raspberry – Add ½ ‐ 1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries  Raspberry/Chevre – Add ½ ‐ 1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries and ½ c. chevre  Cranberry Vinaigrette – Add ½ c. fresh cranberries  Tomato/Basil – Add 1 c. canned tomatoes, drained, and 2 T. finely chopped fresh basil A basic vinaigrette without fresh ingredient additions (berries, fresh herbs, etc.) will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. A dressing with fresh additions should be used within one week. (Remember to label and date the container when you first make them.) For those of you who prefer straight up recipes to playing around with your own formulas, I offer these to speed you on your way to great homemade dressings: Red Wine Vinaigrette:  ½ c. red wine or red wine vinegar (great place to use Red table wine that’s past drinkability)  1 T. Dijon mustard  1 shallot  1 clove garlic  salt & freshly ground pepper to taste  2 c. olive, vegetable or blended oil  1/8 c. chopped fresh herbs Mix all ingredients, except oil and herbs, in blender. With blender on low speed, add oil in a drizzle. Adjust dressing thickness with a little hot water and blend. When all ingredients are emulsified, adjust seasoning and add herbs. Continued on next page
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March 14, 2013 Newsletter Salad Dressings: Vinaigrette cont. Tomato Vinaigrette:  1 T. Dijon mustard  1 shallot  1 clove garlic  5 seeded Roma tomatoes  1 ½ c. canned whole tomatoes  juice of ½ a lemon  ¼ c. distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar  2 ½ c. blended oil  1/8 c. mixed finely minced herbs (basil, parsley, oregano and thyme) Citrus Vinaigrette (great on asparagus and beet salads):  ½ c. fresh‐squeezed orange and lemon juices  2 T. white wine vinegar  1 T. Dijon mustard  1 shallot  1 clove garlic  1 t. orange zest  salt & freshly ground pepper to taste  1 1/2 c. olive, vegetable or blended oil  1 T. fresh herbs (your choice) Mix all ingredients, except oil and herbs, in blender. With blender on low speed, add oil in a drizzle. Adjust dressing thickness with a little hot water and blend. When all ingredients are emulsified, adjust seasoning and add herbs. www.laviecatering.com 3