Three Salad Dressing Bases {Part 2} a Vinaigrette Primer

A vinaigrette has evolved in its use over the years to become an essential flavor booster to not only dress salads (their best friends), but to be included in the marinade clique, the sporty sauce group and the snobby fruit juice cheerleaders of freshness.

A Vinaigrette Primer

A great vinaigrette is rooted in flavor balance between fat and acid and how it balances with the food it will dress.  It’s a creative exploration of the senses to achieve the flavor you have in mind.  It’s also easy to change and manipulate to suit your personal tastes and health goals.

A fat may be any oil in your pantry,  a good extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil or hardworking canola oil to name a few.  It can also be something outside the box like rendered bacon fat, nut oils, and browned butter.

An acid may also include a range of vinegars, from the mild rice wine vinegar, a sharp red wine vinegar to a sweet aged balsamic vinegar. Citrus juices of lime, lemon, and orange or a variety of fruit juices such as pomegranate, mango, and pineapple may all be used to make a bright counterpoint to the oil chosen.

  How much to add of each you ask?

The classic ratio of fat to acid in a vinaigrette is 3:1.  I love the taste of vinegar and prefer a stronger more bright 2:1 ratio.  This means if you have ½ cup oil, then your vinegar should be ¼ cup. Within this parameter is where you can be creative; combine ½ cup oil with 2 Tablespoons of vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of another acid like lime juice (the 2 Tablespoons vinegar and 2 Tablespoons lime juice equal ¼ cup of acid).

Finally, to round out the balance and create something truly interesting, combine two oils like bacon fat and canola oil with a combination of acids like apple cider vinegar and Meyer lemon. Next, you add in herbs or spices to kick up the flavor quotient. The flavor boosters from your pantry remain the same from the list I included in the creamy dressing primer last month. Start with just ½ cup oil, add a vinegar, then some salt and pepper and experiment from there! Engage your senses along the way and have fun being creative in your kitchen.

Base for Vinaigrette

Makes about 3/4 cup dressing

Time involved: 3 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup  Fat – grapeseed oil (my preference)

¼ cup acid – a vinegar,( most likely red wine vinegar + sherry vinegar for me)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground is best)

¼ teaspoon of Dijon Mustard or ⅛ teaspoon ground mustard

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well.

This is a classic vinaigrette that’s great with anything from a simple salad of greens to drizzled over roasted chicken.

Greek Vinaigrette

½ cup grapeseed oil, or another oil of your choice

3 Tablespoons tomato juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/3 cup Feta cheese

3 fresh sprigs of oregano, leaves finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 fresh sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well.

Serve with a Spring mix of greens with black olives, peperoncini, tomatoes, grilled scallops and fresh feta cheese.

Italian Vinaigrette

½ cup olive oil or another oil of your choice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

1/3 cup parmesan, finely grated

1 garlic clove, minced

3 fresh sprigs of oregano, leaves finely chopped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well.

This is wonderful as a marinade for chicken or dressed over a classic salad of romaine, red lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and pine nuts with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Balsamic Shallot Vinaigrette

¼  cup grapeseed oil, or another oil of your choice

3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, a mellow, sweet aged one is best

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar(optional)

1 Tablespoon water, (optional if the dressing needs to be a bit smoother in flavor and consistency)

1 Tablespoon shallot, minced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well.

Balsamic vinegar and strawberries is always a winner especially with the addition of black pepper and minced shallots.  At home, my vinegar was fairly thick and sweet.  For the balance to be right I added a little bit of water to smooth out the consistency and a touch of apple cider vinegar to balance the sweetness of the balsamic. In your kitchen, with your ingredients do the same as you taste to get the right balance for you.

Citrus Vinaigrette

½ cup citrus juices

                2 Tablespoons lime juice + zest

                2 Tablespoons Meyer lemon +zest

                3 Tablespoons orange juice + zest

                1 Tablespoon grapefruit juice

¼ cup oil, I preferred canola here for its neutral flavor

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

1 teaspoon honey

Pinch of red pepper flakes would be interesting, but definitely optional

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well. In this dressing I turned the original ratio on its head to vinegar to oil ratio 2:1.  I love the bright, freshness of this citrus vinaigrette, if it is too much for you add a teaspoon of water to dilute the acidity.

This is delicious with simple greens, grapefruit and blood orange slices, julienne fennel and any grilled seafood, chicken or pork.

Thai Vinaigrette

½ cup of lime juice – about 3 limes

Zest from 1 lime

¼ cup oil, I preferred canola here for its neutral flavor

1 teaspoon water, (optional, to help mellow out the flavor if the lime is too acidic)

½  teaspoon salt (optional to your tastes)

½ teaspoon ground pepper

 2 sprigs cilantro, stems and leaves finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 teaspoon fish sauce (the salty component)

1 teaspoon Thai chile or Serrano chile, finely minced (remember to wear gloves)

Directions

In a blender or small glass jar combine the ingredients and shake well.

In this dressing I turned the original ratio on its head to vinegar to oil ratio 2:1.  This is an extremely bright dressing that may be mellowed with the addition of 1 teaspoon of water. The salt has been reduced as well because fish sauce adds a complex salty nuance to the dish. It ‘s amazing with grilled shrimp and simple greens with carrots and finely diced radishes.

Chef’s notes:

These vinaigrettes may be made in advance and used within a week to 10 days.

These may all be used as a marinade. A marinade is used to soak meat or vegetables in a liquid to impart a surface level of flavor.  Remove the salt from the vinaigrettes for the marinade then salt the meat or vegetables before cooking. Remember to follow these general guidelines for how long to marinate a given meat or vegetable. You may be tempted to marinate for a longer amount of time to impart more flavor, but when a marinade like these involves acid it can actually toughen up the meat or make it mealy in texture.

For shrimp, scallops, and a small fillet of fish about 15 to 20 minutes

For thin cuts of chicken or pork about 30 minutes to 2 hours

For thin cuts of red meat about 1 to 4 hours

Root vegetables about 30 minutes to 2 hours

Softer vegetables about 30 minutes

After you have used the marinade, discard it for food safety reasons.

If you want to baste or drizzle a fresh dressing over the cooked meat and vegetables, double the recipe and reserve half for later.

I hope I have given you a good primer and the courage to be adventurous in your kitchen. These salad bases are an easy and a fun place to experiment with the ingredients in your pantry. They add a quick, inexpensive and depending on your ingredients, a healthy way to boost the flavors in your cooking. Enjoy!