Posted on: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
TASTE
Vinaigrette varieties begin with basic recipe
Los Angeles Times
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A vinaigrette adds flavor to and dresses up a wild salmon steak. Even the most basic vinaigrette calls for top-quality ingredients.
CARLOS CHAVEZ | Los Angeles Times
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To make a basic vinaigrette, use the best ingredients possible. You can adjust the amount you want to make, but keep the proportions the same.
BASIC VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt and pepper. When the salt has dissolved, whisk in olive oil.
Serve on salads and other dishes, whisking again just before using.
Total time: Less than 5 minutes.
Makes 1 cup.
Per tablespoon: 80 calories; no protein, carbohydrate, fiber or cholesterol; 9 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 36 mg sodium
With a few key ingredients and a whisk, you can make an almost endless array of vinaigrettes. They have a casual simplicity and easy-going nature that's hard to beat. Here's a sampling of variations on a standard vinaigrette recipe:
Honey-mustard vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar, and whisk in 1 tablespoon each of honey and stone-ground or Dijon mustard before adding olive oil. A beautiful accompaniment to grilled steak or salmon.
Cilantro-basil vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with white balsamic vinegar and mix in a few tablespoons of minced fresh cilantro and basil before adding olive oil.
Citrus vinaigrette: Replace vinegar with freshly squeezed lemon or lime (or other citrus) juice. Taste for seasoning — depending on how acidic the citrus is, add more oil to balance the tartness. Great with grilled fish or avocado salad.
Warm cider vinaigrette: Simmer 1/2 cup of cider vinegar, some chopped shallots, salt and pepper until reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and whisk in 2/3 cup oil. Serve over dandelions or other slightly bitter greens, bacon strips and warm goat cheese.
Sherry-walnut vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with sherry vinegar; whisk in walnut oil instead of olive oil.
Champagne-hazelnut vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with Champagne vinegar and whisk in hazelnut oil. Terrific with a salad of baby spinach, sliced strawberries and a handful of crushed, toasted hazelnuts.
Jalapeno-lime-cilantro vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with equal parts white wine vinegar and lime juice. In a food processor or blender, blend the vinegar, lime juice, salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro and half a seeded jalapeno. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil.
Anchovy vinaigrette: In a food processor or blender, process 2 or 3 anchovy fillets and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard with red wine vinegar, then slowly pour the olive oil in with the motor running. This is great on steamed asparagus, poached leeks or romaine salad.
Parsley vinaigrette for roasted meat or chicken: After you've roasted or pan-seared meat or chicken, blend 3 tablespoons of the hot pan juices in a food processor or blender with salt, pepper, red wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley; slowly pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil with the motor running.
Garlic vinaigrette: In a mortar and pestle or using the flat side of a knife, mash together 1 large clove of garlic with the salt, then add the mixture to the vinegar and pepper before whisking in the olive oil. Or add 1 tablespoon of roasted garlic instead. Terrific with grilled steak or lamb chops.
Ginger-sesame vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with rice wine vinegar, stir in 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger and whisk in a mixture of 1 part toasted sesame oil and 3 parts canola oil.
