I remember talking with the renowned food educator Anne Willan about getting people interested in cooking. Suppose you were, she said, somebody who never ever lifted up a rolling pin or a carving knife, you could start with something very basic and useful: making a vinaigrette. In retrospect Chef Jerry Pellegrino thinks she was 100% right. “I can’t think of a simpler recipe to make, and it has the benefit of being 100% usable right away, which means instant gratification.”
In simplest terms, a vinaigrette is a sauce that is made with olive oil and vinegar.
And quite often an emulsifier is necessary because oil and vinegar don’t easily mix. So, something like mustard lets everything combine into one liquid and stay that way. For our purposes, I would say that Dijon is the mustard of choice because it is naturally creamy and has a perfect flavor for cooking.
For the record, the correct proportions of oil to vinegar were 3 parts oil to one party vinegar. And let us say right away that you really should use high quality extra virgin olive oil, because you cannot hide the taste in a vinaigrette. So, get that really good bottle and use it.
In terms of vinegars, we have numerous choices. White wine vinegar, for sure. But something like apple cider vinegar gives a touch of sweetness. Red wine vinegar has some oompf. Balsamic has a ton of umami. Rice wine and champagne vinegar are very delicate. And the so-called white balsamic vinegar will give you tangy sweetness without sugar. And sherry vinegar’s strong mellow flavor goes well with heavier, earthier salad ingredients.
As for emulsifiers other than mustard, there are a number of possibilities. Raw egg yolk, mayonnaise, honey and even tomato paste will do the trick. But you obviously have to keep the salad’s flavors in mind.
And then there are little add-ons people throw in. Chopped shallots, minced garlic, finely cut up herbs… they all add subtle flavors. Then you have liquids like lemon juice, orange juice, pomegranate juice that can change the direction of the vinaigrette dramatically.
But whipping up a vinaigrette is as easy as they say. Well, let’s start with the basics: go out and get a whisk if you don’t have one. It’s the one essential tool for making a vinaigrette, and it just looks good in the kitchen. Work the oil and vinegar together first of all, add your emulsifier and get everything homogenous, and finally your little extras, plus salt and pepper. And be sure to keep tasting because it is so easy to get a vinaigrette just the way you want it. So, shoot for balanced flavors and shy away from anything that is too dominant. But make sure your vinaigrette has personality. We really don’t care for a vinaigrette that lacks a theme.
QUICK CREAMY VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients:
· ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 1 large garlic clove, minced
· 1 tsp finely chopped parsley
· salt and freshly ground black pepper
· ⅔ cup olive oil
Directions:
Measure vinegar (or lemon juice) and mustard (or mayonnaise) into a 2-cup measuring cup. With a small whisk, mix in garlic, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Measure oil in another cup. Slowly whisk oil into mixture, first in droplets, then in a slow, steady stream to make an emulsified vinaigrette.
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