Vinaigrettes are nothing new and have been around for a long time and it makes sense because they are so versatile in their application. Vinaigrettes are fast and simple to make and are an easy and healthy way to increase the taste of numerous dishes. A good vinaigrette has a silky-smooth texture and even taste, something you won’t find in the store bought versions. These qualities are achieved through a process known as emulsion. An emulsion involves taking unlike substances (vinegar and oil) that don’t readily mix on their own and combining them at such a fast rate that tiny particles of the two substances become evenly dispersed and suspended in each other. However, because the two substances are unlike they will eventually separate. To slow down the separation an emulsifier or binder is also added in our case mustard. Blenders and food processors have made making vinaigrettes and the like almost impossible to mess-up. If you don’t have one of these modern conveniences though, or you just want to be hardcore you can do it using a whisk, a bowl and some serious elbow grease. Just remember if you’re going to do it this way to add the oil really slowly, like just a thin stream. Below is the basic recipe and method for making vinaigrettes.
Equipment
-blender/food processor
-knife
-cutting board
-measuring cup
-squirt bottle or other container
Ingredients
-3/4 – 1 cup vinegar
-1 shallot
-1 garlic clove
-1 TBSP Dijon mustard
-1½ – 2 cups light olive oil
-honey to taste
-ground pepper and salt to taste
Method
Set up the blender or food processor and peel the shallot and garlic. Put the vinegar, shallot, garlic and Dijon into the machine. Be sure to chop the shallot and garlic before putting them in to insure everything blends more readily. Fire the thing up and let it run until you have a well blended mixture at which point start to slowly drizzle in the oil.
starting mixture
well blended mixture
You don’t need to add the oil super slow (unless you’re doing it by hand), just don’t dump it all in at once. Shoot for a thin, steady stream and you should be fine.
thin oil stream
Adding the oil is the most crucial part of the process, if it’s added too fast you won’t get an emulsion and the substances will separate or break this is bad.
broken vinaigrette
Something you never see in cookbooks is how to fix stuff you just FUBAR’d. At the restaurant we can’t constantly throw things out if we mess them up because it adversely effects the bottom line. So, here is how to be a good food doctor and bring your flat-lined creation back from the brink. First, turn off the machine and pour the mangled contents into a measuring cup. Then, turn the empty machine back on and slowly pour the broken contents back in which will allow it to emulsify.
pouring in broken vinaigrette
repaired vinaigrette
Once everything is back in continue to add the oil until your vinaigrette passes the spoon test. What’s the spoon test? The spoon test involves dipping a spoon in the vinaigrette and then drawing a line through it with your finger. If the line doesn’t collapse back in on itself the vinaigrette is ready, if it does then it needs more oil.
passing the spoon test
Once everything is good and emulsified taste it to see where you are. You want the vinaigrette to be tangy with a slight bite, but it shouldn’t taste like straight vinegar. At this point blend in the honey and pepper to adjust the taste until it’s to your liking then pour it into a squirt bottle or other container.
finished vinaigrette
Keeping the vinaigrette in the fridge it will stay good for about three to four days. After a day or two it might start to separate at which point just shake it up to get it to remix.
Vinaigrettes can be used on many different things, the obvious one being salads. Branch out and try them as marinades or warm on grilled meats. One thing you do want to keep in mind is to make sure the vinaigrette pairs well with what it’s going on. For example a salad with apples, blue cheese and walnuts would work well with a balsamic vinaigrette or grilled salmon with a warm rice wine, orange and fennel vinaigrette would be pretty good. By using the recipe I supplied as a base and changing the vinegar and adding other ingredients you can get an almost infinite amount of combinations to go with just about anything.