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Vinaigrette Recipes |
| Basics - the proportions (oil to vinegar) of all vinaigrettes depend on the acidity of the vinegar. Store-bought vinegar is usually 5% acidity and a ratio of 2 to 1 does well. Allure vinegars are between 6.5 and 7% acidity which usually means 3 to 1 oil/vinegar ratio. It is a matter of taste, however, and it's best to mix tiny batches and find out what you like. If you like creamier vinaigrettes, add an egg yolk (never the white) but make sure you consume it in a couple of weeks. Vinaigrettes also need to be emulsified which is best achieved by mixing all ingredients in a blender or such and then slowly adding the oil. Caution! If you use fresh herbs and/or fresh garlic, make only what you can consume fairly quickly. There is a remote chance of botulism developing if left standing, especially with low acidity vinegars. Chardonnay -Wassabi Vinaigrette This is one of our favorites for greens (especially the bitter kind, arugula, radicchio, mesclun etc. Also excellent over steamed veggies such a asparagus, Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of chardonnay vinegar 1 tsp wassabi powder rehydrated in 1 tbs of warm water. Let stand 5 min. 1 egg yolk 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice pinch of sea salt herb of choice (we like fresh tarragon) Mix everything except oil and herbs. Slowly pour oil while blender works at lowest speed. Add finely minced herb/s when done. If you want the wassabi flavor to shine do not use herbs. Raspberry Vinaigrette 1 1/2 cups of extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of Raspberry Syrah vinegar 1 shallot finely minced 1 tsp Dijon mustard pinch of black pepper pinch of sea salt 1 egg yolk Herb of choice or none (fresh dill and/or Italian parsley goes very well with this) Mix everything except oil, minced shallot and herbs. Emulsify as above. Horse Radish -Grenache Vinaigrette 1 1/2 cups of extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of Grenache vinegar with a small chunk of fresh, peeled horseradish (size of a sugar lump) steeped in the vinegar for a day (Try that on a bottle of vodka for the finest martini you ever had; Russians swear by it). It's an acquired taste, for sure, but worth trying. 1 tsp Dijon mustard pinch of sea salt &black pepper. Herbs don't go with this since the horseradish has such a pronounced flavor. Emulsify as above. Vinegar Reduction Sauces Vinegar reductions, specially of the more robust wine vinegars such as cabernet and syrah are real treat and incredibly versatile. Basic recipe 2 cups of fine cabernet, syrah or zinfandel wine vinegar (don't try this with store bought stuff, you'll be wasting your time) 1 tbs of sugar or to taste as you get proficient. Caramelize the sugar until it's amber color. This is a bit tricky if you've never done it. You need a good saucepan with a heavy bottom (copper is best, but iron, aluminum will also do). In a separate pan heat vinegar and pour over caramelized sugar and stir until it's completely dissolved.Bring to a quick boil, turn heat down and simmer until it's reduced in half or less. It is heavenly on fruit (strawberries, pears, melon) and fantastic on steak, lamb chops and even a plain hamburger but use it sparingly. You can customize the reduction further by adding a clove to the simmering vinegar for a few minutes for fruit and a few drops of dark Jamaican rum also works wonders. A pinch of wassabi in the reduction is great on steak. |
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