Create your own gourmet vinaigrette salad dressing recipe using this simple formula. Geared toward creative types and those who are a little bored with the cooking status quo, the challenge is to release your inner gourmet and create your own amazing dressings. Even if you don't like to cook you might like this assignment; it's fun, easy, and rewarding. First, let's review some basics.
Dressings 101: Basic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe
Stripped to the bare bones the base of any vinaigrette is:
- 1 part vinegar or lemon to 3 parts oil
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.
- Seasonings to taste
Optional ingredients:
- Emulsifier (amount varies with type)
Add enough to merge the oil and vinegar
- Sweetener, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
Now let's get started. Remember to use only the best and freshest ingredients available. Any herb, spice, fruit or flavoring you can think of is fair game. Keep it simple (less ingredients) at first and taste as you go.
Test Your Way to Award-Winning Salad Dressing Recipes
No need to waste ingredients on a failed experiment. Create test samplesof your dressing creation by following the ingredient amounts listed below. Choose from a variety of taste alternatives in each of the five categories (some are optional). To stimulate ideas draw from themes like holidays, seasons, regional, and international cuisines. For instance, the theme of Christmas might evoke ingredients like walnut oil, white balsamic vinegar, raisons, pecans and a dash of rum extract. Then whisk, blend, and chop, remembering to sample often. When satisfied with your choice of flavors try your concoction on a fresh piece of lettuce.
Hint and tip:if your test sample doesn't quite work for lettuce, you don't necessarily have to give up ship. Consider another medium before scratching the whole idea. For instance, a dressing that doesn't quite cut it on lettuce greens may marry beautifully with turkey, chicken or pasta salad .
OK, its time to experiment. You may want to take note on index cards and keep records of successes and failures.
1. 3 tablespoons oil
Choose among olive, walnut, hazelnut, almond, macadamia nut, avocado, sesame, coconut, or from a variety of vegetable oils. Oils should be extra virgin, cold pressed and preferably organic. You may also wish to mix oils.
2. 1 tablespoon vinegar
Choose apple cider, red or white wine, dark or white balsamic, rice vinegar, herbal or fruit based. To make your own herbal vinegar or fruit vinegar just choose an herb or mix of herbs, put them in a Mason jar and cover with vinegar (some suggest warming the vinegar first). It will be ready for use after 24 hours but the longer it marinates the stronger the flavor.
2. a. 1 table spoon of lemon or lime (in place of vinegar)
To make lemon vinaigrette use only freshly squeezed lemons. Lemon has emulsifying properties (mixes with oil) so you don't have to add other agents. You may prefer to mix the lemon with some vinegar.
3. Emulsifier (optional) enough to thicken the medium
Start by adding a small pinch, drop or dollop.
Emulsifiers include Dijon-style mustard, egg yolk, mayonnaise, starch or blended nuts. Miso paste works well in Asian-style salad dressings. Honey is both a sweetener and emulsifier. Without and emulsifier salad dressing will need to be shaken vigorously with each use.
4. Sweetener to taste (optional)
Some choices of sweeteners are sugar, honey, agave syrup, and fruit juice. You can also use fruit (dried or fresh) instead. Although optional, a little sugar enhances flavors and mitigates the acidic taste.
5. Seasonings to taste
All seasonings--with the exception fruit, which can be dried--must be fresh. Chop or blend all ingredients fine.
Some tried and true salad dressing seasonings are garlic, shallots, basil, thyme, lemon thyme, parsley, marjoram, sage, oregano, celery seeds, chives, sun-dried-tomatoes, blue cheese, bacon, anchovies, raspberries, mangoes, cranberries.
Some less utilized flavors to try: lavender, mint, tarragon, cilantro, fennel seeds, ginger, lime, nutmeg, orange zest, chipotle pepper, capers, juniper berries, tamarind, tomatillos, coriander, pecans, Spanish green olives, Kalamata olives, chervil, bay, raisons, pinion nuts, coconut, hazel nuts, dried apples, rosemary, dates, lychee nuts, pistachio, cashews, wasabi, pineapple, sunflower seeds, dashes of Worchester sauce, soy, tamari, rum, brandy or liqueurs like Cointreau and Grand Marnier (liqueurs add sweetness).
Happy experimenting!
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