A salad dressing is is a sauce for a salad. Most salad dressings are either a vinaigrette, a temporary emulsion of vinegar and oil or thicker mayonnaise-based emulsion. An emulsion is a mixture of two unlike liquids that aren’t normally mixable or miscible. Whisking oil and vinegar together creates a temporary emulsion or an emulsion that separates after a short period of time. A permanent emulsion like mayonnaise, forms when when an emulsifier, like egg yolk or mustard is added to combine the two normally immiscible liquids.
Vinaigrettes
A basic or French vinaigrette is a temporary emulsion of oil and vinegar. Herbs, seasonings and other ingredients may also be added. A vinaigrette is used as a dressing for salads and for marinades for meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. A basic or French vinaigrette should not be confused with the thick-sweet “French” salad dressings popular in the US.
The classic ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 to 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. The actual ratio depends on the acidity level of vinegar, the flavor of the oil and ultimately, on personal taste. Minced garlic, minced shallots, Dijon mustard, and sugar or honey are common additions to vinaigrettes. Dry mustard, prepared mustard, paprika and egg yolks not only add flavor and color but also act as emulsifiers to help to stabilize a vinaigrette or make the temporary emulsion last a bit longer.
Salad Oil
Many different types of oils can be used for salad dressings and vinaigrettes. Depending on the application, oils may be neutral flavored oils like canola, safflower or grape seed. Olive oils offer a variety of flavors from full-flavored extra-virgin olive oils to mildly-flavored pure olive oils. Nut oils may be also offer a range of flavors and can be mixed with more neutrally-flavored oils.
Vinegar
Wine vinegar is produced from a naturally occurring double fermentation. In the first fermentation, yeasts convert the sugar in sweet liquids into alcohol. In the second fermentation, bacteria sour the liquid by converting the alcohol into acetic acid. In wine-producing countries, grapes and wine form the base, but elsewhere apples, cider, or other fruits and their wines, such as blackcurrant, elderberry, plum, and apricot, are used. In the tropics, vinegar is made using dates or palm wine. The very best wine vinegar is produced from good-quality wine under controlled conditions in a long, slow, and natural process. A specially bred starter culture or Mother of pure vinegar-producing bacteria is added to wine, which is left at ambient temperatures to turn into vinegar. (The remnants of this bacteria culture may be seen as sediment in bottom of vinegar bottles. It is harmless and can be easy strained out.) Some vinegars are then matured in wooden barrels to intensify their flavor before being bottled and sealed. Wine vinegar is also made in an industrial process in an acetator. The wine is placed in huge vats with a starter culture and warm air is filtered through the liquid to raise the temperature to 86˚F (30˚C), which speeds up the bacterial process.
Types of Vinegar
Alternatives to Vinegar
Fruit Juices from virtually any fruit, can be used as an alternative or addition to vinegar in a vinaigrette. Lemon juice has a comparable acidity level to vinegar and is a common substitute.
Verjuice is a unfermented fruit juice, taken from unripe fruit such as grapes and crab apples. The name comes from the French vert jus or “green juice”. It was a popular condiment in medieval times when it was used as lemon juice juice is today–to add piquancy to a dish or prevent oxidation of fruits such as apples or pears. With the arrival of lemons in Europe and elsewhere, the use of verjuice has almost completely died out. Though it is widely used in Iran and Lebanon, where it is know as abghooreh and hosrum respectively, and used in certain condiments such as Dijon mustard. It is now making a comeback as a general flavoring, using grapes thinned from the vines in the early stages of development, particularly from vineyards in South Africa and Australia. The flavor and degree of sourness of the verjuice depends on the grape varieties used and the maturity of the picked fruit. Use a condiment to dress fish and seafood dishes, and as a flavoring in a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes. Unlike vinegar and lemon juice, verjuice can be used successfully in conjunction with wine.
Mayonnaise-based or Creamy Dressings
Mayonnaise is a permanent emulsion and serves as a base for many creamy dressings like blue cheese, ranch, and thousand island. Sour cream, yogurt, or buttermilk may also be used in place of or in combination with mayonnaise.
[divider style=”4″]Orange-Fennel Seed Vinaigrette
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