shallot vinaigrette
May 12, 2008
You will rarely find store bought salad dressing in my fridge. I find dressing salads with lemon juice and a good olive oil very satisfying. I am a sucker for ranch dressing on french fries, but that’s another story.
This vinaigrette is a basic standby that everyone should know how to make. It has the basic components of a dressing; acid and emulsification. I have included some options and twists on it but the standard as is, is a no fail dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
1 small shallot minced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tspn good dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or more to taste
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
options:
minced fresh garlic
2 sprigs of italian parsley, rinsed finely chopped
fresh thyme
herb de provence
soy sauce for asian influenced salad- in this case I use less mustard
omit the lemon juice and use a favorite vinegar such as balsamic or rice or red wine. adjust according to taste. vinegar is very strong so i would advise with only putting a small amount and adding more later.
Peel and mince shallot finely. Put in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon in a separate bowl. This will help keep the seeds out of the dressing. Of course, I am lazy and skip this step so I risk seeds getting into the dressing. I like living on the edge.
The lemon is the acid in this case and will allow the shallots to cook a bit so they are not too caustic. After a few moments, whisk in the dijon mustard and slowly add in the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
WF tips:
This dressing will last a week in the fridge. It will look gross when you take it out but should be fine. Just wait a few minutes for the olive oil to reach room temperature again. Also it can be freshened up with some more olive oil.
To test if a dressing is well seasoned, test it on a component from the salad as opposed to dipping a spoon in it. It will be too salty on it’s own.
PARTY TIP:
When hosting a party with a salad, you can make it ahead of time by pouring the dressing at the bottom of your serving vessel, build the salad above it, and then tossing it at the last minute before serving. Your greens will not wilt and it’s one less thing to remember.
You will rarely find store bought salad dressing in my fridge. I find dressing salads with lemon juice and a good olive oil very satisfying. I am a sucker for ranch dressing on french fries, but that’s another story.
This vinaigrette is a basic standby that everyone should know how to make. It has the basic components of a dressing; acid and emulsification. I have included some options and twists on it but the standard as is, is a no fail dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
1 small shallot minced
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tspn good dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or more to taste
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
options:
minced fresh garlic
2 sprigs of italian parsley, rinsed finely chopped
fresh thyme
herb de provence
soy sauce for asian influenced salad- in this case I use less mustard
omit the lemon juice and use a favorite vinegar such as balsamic or rice or red wine. adjust according to taste. vinegar is very strong so i would advise with only putting a small amount and adding more later.
Peel and mince shallot finely. Put in a small bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon in a separate bowl. This will help keep the seeds out of the dressing. Of course, I am lazy and skip this step so I risk seeds getting into the dressing. I like living on the edge.
The lemon is the acid in this case and will allow the shallots to cook a bit so they are not too caustic. After a few moments, whisk in the dijon mustard and slowly add in the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
WF tips:
This dressing will last a week in the fridge. It will look gross when you take it out but should be fine. Just wait a few minutes for the olive oil to reach room temperature again. Also it can be freshened up with some more olive oil.
To test if a dressing is well seasoned, test it on a component from the salad as opposed to dipping a spoon in it. It will be too salty on it’s own.
PARTY TIP:
When hosting a party with a salad, you can make it ahead of time by pouring the dressing at the bottom of your serving vessel, build the salad above it, and then tossing it at the last minute before serving. Your greens will not wilt and it’s one less thing to remember.
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