Sunday, February 24, 2008
Vinaigrettes
Why I Never Buy Vinaigrette
By Mark Bittman
Naturally fresh? I don’t think so. In fact, just by looking at the list of more than fourteen (I stopped counting at that point — my eyes aren’t that good) ingredients on the one-ounce container of vinaigrette dressing I was given on an airplane recently, I could tell there was little fresh or natural about the stuff.
And without dismissing every brand out there — as I’m sure some are well intentioned (though still not very good) — my belief is that there’s never a good reason to buy vinaigrette. It’s just too easy to make your own.
Vinaigrette in its purest state is acid and oil combined, with other added ingredients up for grabs. The acid is usually vinegar, but it can also be freshly squeezed lemon, lime, or other citrus juice.
The oil is most often olive, but can be any nut or neutral oil you like. Then of course, you have to choose the ratio of acid to oil, whether to emulsify or not, what other flavors to add, but pretty much any way you go with it, it’s going to be tough to hit ten, let alone more than a dozen — many of which I can’t pronounce let alone tell you why they’re in there.
I know some people are intimidated by vinaigrette. I think this comes from the belief — put out there by some chefs and cookbooks — that the only way to make it is to slowly add the oil so you don’t “break” the dressing as you feverishly whisk it. And of course, this works fine.
But you can also put all your ingredients in a jar and just shake it. Or use a blender, which works perfectly and even gives creamy results. Or, drizzle your oil over your salad and add a squeeze of lemon. At the end of the day, it’s still vinaigrette, and still better by a factor of zillions than anything you can buy. Cheaper, too, unless you start stealing these little packages from airplanes.
RECIPE Labels: Salads and what you can dress them in
Posted by Jeannie ::
3:01 PM ::
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