Thanks for this recipe. It looks so easy and it is so delicious. I guess if I wanted to make it with bacon I would just add some crumbled bacon.
Joyce -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of steve doyle Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2007 7:03 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Simple Vinaigrette SIMPLE VINAIGRETTE A bottle of olive oil, a cruet of vinegar, a dish of sea salt, a pepper grinder. This is the simple formula for a vinaigrette, a sauce so humble that it often doesn't seem like a sauce at all. But it is: In French, it's called "la sauce vinaigrette." A good one transforms a bowl of salad into something extraordinary. And it's not just for salads. A drizzle of vinaigrette on the plate can elevate any number of dishes -- grilled fish or roasted chicken, pan-seared steak or wilted greens. Basic vinaigrette is the simplest thing in the world to make. Just memorize this: 3-to-1. That's the classic proportion of oil to vinegar. Because there are so few ingredients, their quality is important. Use the best oil and vinegar you can find, good sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. The only equipment necessary is a whisk and a bowl. Whisk the salt and pepper into the vinegar first -- salt doesn't dissolve in oil, but it does in vinegar. Then whisk in the oil. That's a basic sauce vinaigrette. Traditionally, the oil is drizzled in slowly, and whisked all the while to emulsify it, resulting in a creamy, smooth sauce. Whisk a little Dijon mustard into the vinegar before the olive oil and it emulsifies even more easily. (If using an amazing olive oil, though, skip the mustard, which will cover up the nuances of the oil.) But you don't have to emulsify: Everything will combine when you toss the salad. Or if you're using the vinaigrette to sauce a plate that will receive a fillet of sole, you might welcome the amber beads of olive oil eddying in the rosy vinegar, the oil and vinegar beading and traveling on the plate like a pointillist painting. Depending on the oil and vinegar and your palate, you might want to depart from the basic 3-to-1 ratio. The vinegar, which is the acid component of the sauce, can vary in acidity from 4 percent to 8 percent or more: * For a high-acid vinegar, use closer to 4 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Ditto if substituting lemon juice for some or all of the vinegar, or to highlight a great olive oil. * A softer vinaigrette, made with a higher percentage of a particularly floral extra-virgin olive oil, perfectly complements a delicate salad of butter lettuce and fresh herbs. * A sharper vinaigrette, with a higher proportion of, say, aged balsamic vinegar, would accompany grilled steak or a salad of wilted bitter greens: dishes that can stand up to, or even call for, a more pronounced flavor. * Experiment with flavors, try matching mild rice wine vinegar with a touch of toasted sesame oil added to the olive oil, or pair walnut oil with mellow sherry vinegar. Play with texture. Chopped basil, a fine dice of shallots or a mash of roasted garlic adds not just flavor, but body. Whisk in grated ginger or stone-ground mustard and wild honey. Playing with temperature is an option, too. Heat the vinegar or use pan juices in place of some of the oil to make a hot vinaigrette -- a simple and fast sauce to complement the roast chicken or pan-seared hanger steak. Or keep it simple. A vinaigrette is often best at its most elemental -- a powerful example of how good minimalism can taste. VINAIGRETTE RECIPES With a few key ingredients and a whisk, you can make an almost endless array of vinaigrettes. They have a casual simplicity and easygoing nature that's hard to beat. Here are some variations on the basic vinaigrette recipe: Basic Vinaigrette 8 (2-tablespoon) servings Serve on salads and other dishes, whisking again just before using. 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. Honey-mustard vinaigrette: Replace red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar, and whisk in 1 tablespoon each 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 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. Jalapeño-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 jalapeño. 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 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. PAN-SEARED WILD SALMON STEAKS WITH CHIVE VINAIGRETTE 4 servings Hands on: 7 minutes Total time: 7 minutes 4 wild salmon steaks, about 1-inch thick (6 ounces each), skin on Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup Chive Vinaigrette (see recipe below) Season the salmon steaks with salt and pepper. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the salmon steaks and sear until golden and caramelized on one side, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the steaks over and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove and blot on a paper towel. Drizzle each steak with about 2 tablespoons Chive Vinaigrette. Serve immediately. Chive Vinaigrette 8 (2 tablespoon) servings Hands on: 8 minutes Total time: 8 minutes Use a pair of kitchen shears to snip the chives. This vinaigrette can be made a few hours ahead of time; the additional time will allow the flavors to blend, the shallots to mellow and the color to deepen slightly. 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon minced shallots 2 tablespoons finely cut chives 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 3/4 cup best-quality olive oil In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallots, chives, salt and pepper. When the salt has dissolved, whisk in the olive oil. lr smiles --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
