Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette is a specific sounding term for a broad range of salad dressings (and marinades). This recipe is based on a recipe from my father who taught it to my mother who then taught it to me. I've since adapted it to suit my tastes. It features lemon and olive oil, which might sound contrary to the name, but according to my research, it still qualifies as a vinaigrette.

Whenever I'm making a lettuce-based salad, I almost always reach for something resembling this recipe.

The main problem with writing this recipe is that vinaigrette it's a sauce which tastes best when adjusted to your particular circumstances. While the recipe described below uses olive oil, lemon juice, and sugar, tweaking it is recommended. There are many circumstances where partially or wholly substituting a more neutral oil, a vinegar (or other source of acidity such as a lime), some other sweet substance, or even adding mayonnaise would make a better pairing with the salad you are making. I have even been known to add chilli sauce. The important thing is to taste the sauce as you are making it.

It is unlikely that you will nail any variation of this sauce it on the first try. This is because understanding how the sauce changes with the addition of oil requires some experience. However, if you feel like your sauce needs adjusting, you can still add salt or sugar. This risks breaking the sauce but is unlikely to ruin your dish. After all, you are spreading your sauce throughout a salad, which will help distribute the oil and water based components in spite of any problems with your emulsion.

It's also worth noting that, even if you screw up, almost anything beats a bland and unseasoned salad.

This recipe is designed to coat a salad for two. While you can use any vegetables, I recommend starting with lettuce and tomatoes.

Ingredients

• ~1 tsp Salt
• ~1 heaped tsp Sugar
• ~1 clove Garlic (grated or minced)
• 1/2 Lemon worth of Lemon Juice
• ~1 tsp Mustard (Dijon or something equally mild, not English yellow)
• q.b.¹ Ground Pepper
• q.b. Olive Oil

Preparation

1. Before Oil

Into a small mixing bowl add your sugar, salt, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, and as much ground pepper as you might like (which can be none, I won't judge). Mix to combine. The sugar and salt won't really dissolve much right now but it doesn't matter.

2. Oil

Using a whisk, mix the ingredients while adding the oil. Start slow and increase the pace as you add more oil. With experience, you'll learn much oil you can add and when. But if it's your first attempt, you might split the sauce due to adding the oil too quickly or whisking too slowly.

Stop regularly (about every 2 teaspoons) to taste the sauce. It should be intense but balanced, as it's meant to season a whole salad.

Keep adding oil to balance the acidity. If needed, adjust the seasoning with more salt, or sugar.

3. After Oil

If your sauce splits (i.e., forms a layer of oil), whisk vigorously just before dressing your salad. This won't be as good as if your sauce hadn't split but it will help compensate for it.

Toss the dressing with your salad, taste, and adjust as needed. You can add but can't remove any ingredients. If it's too intense, you will need to add lettuce or other vegetables. Take notes for next time as it's best to incorporate the ingredients before adding oil.