Classic Vinaigrette made from Oil and Vinegar

The days of shop bought salad dressings have long gone. There was a time when we were delighted to buy our salad dressings off the shelf but with the advent of so many healthy choices available to us we are no longer prepared to settle for anything that could be detrimental to our health and our taste buds. The availability of freshly prepared salad leaves and other healthy additions have made use mindful of keeping a healthy low calorie, low cholesterol diet and most of us are fanatical about choosing the best food products for ourselves
and our families. Food manufacturers, themselves, have capitalized on our endless quest to find the healthiest options available. This is completely evident if you are shopping for a healthy salad dressing and are faced with a confusing amount of choice that really doesn’t mean anything to you. There are so many varieties on display all making amazing claims, many imported from European countries and many more still endorsed by celebrities. All these different dressings expound the virtues of their creation process and use of exotic ingredients. At the end of the day the best salad dressing is the easiest to create. It is simplicity itself. The classic oil and vinaigrette has two basic ingredients and provided you use the best quality oil and vinegar you will find that this type of dressing is the best choice you can make.
Bearing in mind you should use superior quality products to make vinaigrette; two brands of vinegar are recommended as ideal and affordable for this recipe, Masserie di Sant’Eramo and Caroliva Reserve. Both are balsamic vinegars and will cost over $8, anything cheaper will not be of the same standard.

Not only can you use your classic vinaigrette as a dressing for salads, but it can be used to enhance other foods such as artichokes and asparagus, fresh seafood including lobster and scallops, or fresh and steamed vegetables.

To make an oil and vinegar dressing you need to be aware that the ratio of oil to vinegar is three parts oil to one part vinegar. However, you can adjust these proportions to suit your individual taste. You may wish to alter this ratio when using balsamic vinegar as it is quite intense and more oil, say one part vinegar to five parts oil may be preferable. You should also season with salt, pepper. Dijon mustard is another traditional ingredient and one teaspoon per half cup of dressing is the usual amount to create the right balance of flavor. Depending again on your personal preferences you may wish to add other ingredients to flavor the vinaigrette. Fresh herbs such as sage or chive, even root ginger can give your dressing an interesting boost.

Classic Vinaigrette, oil and vinegar

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A vinaigrette is very simple to prepare. Just remember the proportion of oil to vinegar for classic vinaigrette is 3 to 1. Use of excellent sea salt, the best balsamic vinegar and oil you have available and some freshly ground black pepper.

Citrus Vinaigrette: Use freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice instead of balsamic vinegar. Other citrus juices can also work. Balance the acidity of the citrus to the amount of oil you use. This is an excellent complement to avocado salad or grilled fish.

Warm Cider Vinaigrette: Heat half a cup of cider vinegar, add in some salt, pepper and chopped shallots. Heat until the mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Then turn off the heat and add 2/3 cup of olive oil. Great for slightly bitter greens like dandelions mixed with warm goat cheese and bacon strips.

Sherry-Walnut Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use sherry vinegar and instead of olive oil, use walnut oil.

Champagne-Hazelnut Vinaigrette: Substitute red wine vinegar with Champagne vinegar. Add hazelnut oil. A perfect complement for a salad composed of toasted and crushed hazelnuts, sliced strawberries and baby spinach.

Jalapeno-Lime-Cilantro Vinaigrette: Substitute red wine vinegar with half and half of lime juice and white wine vinegar. You can use a blender or food processor to mix the vinegar, salt, pepper, lime juice, one half of a seeded jalapeno plus 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. While the motor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil.

Anchovy Vinaigrette: Place 2 or 3 fillets of anchovy into a blender or food processor. Add red wine vinegar and 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the motor is running. Pour on romaine salad, steamed asparagus or poached leeks.

Parsley Vinaigrette (for Roasted Chicken or Meat): Roast or pan-sear chicken or meat. Then blend the hot pan juices (around 3 tablespoons) in a blender or food processor. Add in red wine vinegar, pepper, salt and 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. While the motor is running, drizzle in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Garlic Vinaigrette: Mash together salt and 1 large clove of garlic, using the flat side of a knife or a mortar and pestle. Add the mixture to balsamic vinegar and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. You can also use 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic. This is a perfect complement to lamb chops or grilled steak.

Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use rice wine vinegar. Add 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger. Then whisk in 3 parts canola oil with 1 part toasted sesame oil.

vinaigrette variations

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A vinaigrette is a simple sauce that sometimes you get this notion that it is not sauce at all.

To make an excellent vinaigrette, all you need is some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, freshly ground pepper and some sea salt. That’s it. As you can see, it’s very basic.

This simple concoction can do magic not just to salads but also to that plate of roasted chicken, pan-seared steak, grilled fish or wilted greens. It is very simple to prepare. Just remember the magic numbers 3-to-1, which is the proportion of oil to vinegar for classic vinaigrette. Take note that the quality of your ingredients is important, as there are so few ingredients.

Make use of excellent sea salt, the best balsamic vinegar and oil you have available and some freshly ground black pepper. As for the equipment, all you need would be a bowl and a whisk. First, mix the salt and pepper into the vinegar (salt will not dissolve in oil, so mix it in balsamic vinegar first). After the salt and pepper are dissolved in the vinegar, you can then whisk in the oil.

For classic vinaigrette, you can use olive oil with red wine vinegar. If you want something more different, you actually have a lot of possibilities. With a few adjustments in the key ingredients, you can make variations of the standard vinaigrette. Here are some you can try:

Mustard and Honey Vinaigrette: Instead of red wine vinegar, use white wine or white balsamic vinegar. Add a tablespoon each of Dijon or stone-ground mustard and honey before whisking in the olive oil. This works great for salmon or a grilled steak.

balsamic vinaigrette

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