About Vinaigrettes

As you can see with the vinaigrette recipes below, there's a basic method you can vary for whatever you feel like making. There are many vinegars out there, and you can adjust the herbs to pair with your desired theme. For a french flair, use herbs de provence. For italian, use italian herbs. If you have leftover fresh herbs, by all means!

Here's a basic recipe for vinaigrette, adjust to you liking.

1/4 c. vinegar
1 T dijon mustard
1 T minced shallot
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. dried or fresh herbs
1 T honey
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The mustard acts to emulsify the dressing, preventing the oil and vinegar from separating. This recipe has a nice balance of salty, sweet and acidic flavors. The goal of a vinaigrette is, when you taste it, the acid of the vinegar tickles the back of your throat but doesn't make your mouth pucker!

Supplement the vinegar with citrus juices to brighten the dressing. If something seems to be missing, it probably needs more salt. To sweeten the dressing more (especially when using very bitter lettuces), add a little concentrated fruit juice puree, which will help balance the bitterness of greens like endive, frisee, escarole, arugula or raddicchio.