March 1, 2015
In 1982 I took an elective cooking class at Miami University on Chinese and French Cuisine. I learned about the cultures, food and techniques in cooking both French and Chinese fare. Cooking in France especially is more about the experience than just a recipe. I thought French cuisine would be complicated and difficult to master. What I learned, instead, is that it is very basic and simple. A really good example of this is the way they male salad dressing. A vinaigrette salad dressing is just that.

mixed greens tossed with completed vinaigrette

Vinaigrette is what the French use for their simple green salads. It is also what they use on vegetables and it can be used for marinades for grilled meats and fish. I learned that it was easy to mix up a quick vinaigrette in the bottom of a nice wooden bowl. All I needed to learn was the ratio of oil to acid and lightly season with herbs and mustard. It is the process in which you do this that makes it taste so good! I think it is worthwhile to have one good wooden salad bowl. Go to estate sales and pick one up cheaply if you can – or ask for one for Christmas! You won’t regret it.

vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper

The rule of thumb for any vinaigrette is to have about twice as much oil as vinegar (or lemon juice). Begin by pouring the measured amount of vinegar into the bottom of a wooden salad bowl. Next, you add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. I almost always add dijon mustard to my vinaigrettes. This is a personal preference – but a good stone ground mustard is nice too. The recipe in my French Cuisine cookbook (The Cooking of Provincial France – Time Life Books c. 1968) called for 1/4 tsp dry mustard. I usually add 1/2 to 1 tsp of mustard to the vinegar. Stir this well until the salt has dissolved.

mustard added and garlic mashed into mixture

I tend to like a garlicky vinaigrette, so I often chop (or use a garlic press) one medium size clove of garlic and add it to the vinegar mixture. Use a spoon to try to mash the pieces of garlic into the vinegar, almost making a paste. This will help infuse the flavor of the garlic. I prefer red wine or white wine vinegar most of the time. Sherry vinegar is really good too. In my French cooking class we used lemon juice – freshly squeezed of course! I always have lemons on hand and the fresh is so much better than the reconstituted juice in a bottle.

slowly adding olive oil

Last, you add the olive oil. It helps to whisk – or stir the vinaigrette as well as you can so it emulsifies. The color of the dressing changes to a lighter more opaque color when its well mixed.

all oil added and mixed to emulsify

You can add a little parmesan cheese or blue cheese. You can also add herbs like a teaspoon of oregano for a greek or italian flavored salad. Be careful not to add too many additional flavors so the simple oil/vinegar taste shines through.

parmesan cheese added – ready to toss with greens

With practice, a basic vinaigrette can come together in less than 5 minutes. It is so much better for you than bottled dressings filled with preservaties and “bad” oils. You can make the vinaigrette and let it sit in the bowl for several hours before serving a salad. In the class we learned that you can even add the lettuce if you place your serving spoons over the vinaigrette in the bottom of the bowl, top with the lettuce and don’t let the lettuce sit in the dressing. Just before serving, lift the utensils out and toss well.

You can also make a larger batch of vinaigrette in a mason jar or blender. Just keep the ratio of oil and vinegar the same and shake well to emulsify all of the ingredients. I will sometimes make more than I need, then have what’s left in the refrigerator to use as marinades for chicken, mushrooms – or for chopped salads with lots of vegetables. The refrigerated dressing will need to come to room temperature and will need to be stirred or shaken well before using. The oil and vinegar will separate and the oil will probably solidify in the cold temperature of the refrigerator. You don’t need a lot of marinade to get the benefit of flavor and tenderizing…maybe a tablespoon per chicken breast or portabello mushroom.

Basic Vinaigrette

Enough dressing for a green salad of 6 - 8 servings.

Ingredients

2 Tbs. vinegar (red or white wine) or freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 -1 tsp dijon mustard or 1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (optional)
4 – 6 Tbs. Olive oil

Instructions

With a whisk or fork, beat the vinegar (or lemon juice), a little salt and pepper and mustard until the salt dissolves.

Add garlic if desired and mash it into the vinegar mixture to form a light paste.

Last, add olive oil a little bit at at time, beating it constantly until it is absorbed. Taste and add seasoning as desired.

 

Notes