A home-made salad dressing is a revelation in flavour choices. Photo / Getty Images
A home-made salad dressing is a revelation in flavour choices. Photo / Getty Images
Get the basic formula right and then start playing with additional ingredients for dressings that take veges and salad greens to delicious new heights.
The problem with buying salad dressings is that more often than not there is an excess of sugar, additives and sodium. Making your own means having control of your ingredients, and it’s actually a very simple process. It can be as easy as adding oil and vinegar to your salad leaves, with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
A simple vinaigrette is almost the same but the ingredients are emulsified, usually with the help of mustard — meaning all is whisked together to form a new liquid. It’s not a stable emulsion like mayonnaise and will usually separate after a time, but can be whisked back together.
The essential ingredients of a basic vinaigrette are acid and oil, typically formulated in a ratio of one part acid to three or, for a milder flavour profile, four parts oil. What changes the flavour profile of a vinaigrette is the choice of acid and oil and any additional ingredients, such as chopped shallots, crushed garlic, herbs such as chervil, tarragon or chives, honey and other sweeteners.
Oil: Extra virgin olive oil, canola, peanut and grape seed are all common vinaigrette oils. Nut oils are also delicious in vinaigrettes — but as their flavour tends to be strong should be used sparingly and supplemented with a neutral oil.
Vinegar: Red or white wine vinegar are the most common vinegars used in a basic vinaigrette. But balsamic is also an option, as are sherry vinegar and apple cider vinegar. You might just have to play with ratios, dependent on the quality and how strong it is. Lemon can also be substituted.
Remember that a vinaigrette can also be used to enliven steamed or boiled vegetables and roasted veg, too. Add while hot and all the flavour will be soaked up. And creamy dressings can often serve as spreads and dips.
How to make a basic vinaigrette
Vinaigrettes, often rooted in vinegar, are typically formulated in a ratio of one part acid to three or four parts oil.
One Tbsp vinegar of choice (white or red wine or balsamic)
Three Tbsp oil (canola, peanut, grape seed or olive oil)
Method
Whisk together the mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar. Whisk in the oil a bit at a time.
Variations
Lemon: Sub in fresh lemon juice and zest for white wine vinegar.
Honey: Add honey to the vinegar-oil mixture.
Sesame: Combine rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil and canola oil.
Ginger-miso: Use rice vinegar and incorporate grated fresh ginger and white miso.
How to make a creamy vinaigrette
Creamy dressings use less acid and denser fats in lieu of oil, such as yoghurt, cream, sour cream and cream.
Three Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice or red or white wine or sherry vinegar
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Five Tbsp heavy cream, creme fraiche, Greek yoghurt or sour cream, buttermilk or mayonnaise; two tsp chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, tarragon, parsley or chervil), optional
Method
Whisk together the vinegar or citrus juice, salt and pepper to taste. Then whisk in your creamy element. If using herbs, whisk them in with the cream and let them infuse into the dressing for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Infused vinegars and oils
To add extra nuance to your dressings, you can infuse your vinegar with herbs and aromatic ingredients such as garlic, truffles, dried porcini mushrooms, fruits or citrus zest. For example, raspberry flavoured vinegar is made by soaking raspberries in wine vinegar. Tarragon is also a great option — just add a few sprigs into your bottle of white wine vinegar.
Oils can be infused with herbs such as thyme rosemary or marjoram. But if you have a very good quality oil, infusions can often distract from its nuanced flavour.
Top tips for preparing your green leaves
Nearly all salad greens are fragile. If handled roughly, vinaigrette can make leaves soggy, so gentle preparation is key. Wash salad greens by letting them sit in water and then lift out with your hands — check to see if there is residue left behind in the water and if there is, repeat the process. A salad spinner is good for drying greens, but don’t spin it too fast or the force will crush them again the spinner’s walls. Instead, spin gently, pour out any water, toss the leaves lightly with your hands and then spin again gently. Repeat until you don’t find any water in the bottom.
