The Vinaigrette Ratio, Why Mustard Holds It Together, and Twelve
A vinaigrette is the simplest sauce in the kitchen and the one most people buy in a bottle anyway, which is a shame, because the bottled version often leads with water, sugar and a gum, and the real one takes ninety seconds and tastes of the oil and vinegar you chose. It is also the best possible introduction to the idea of an emulsion, which is the thing that makes mayonnaise, hollandaise, a pan sauce and a bowl of cacio e pepe work, and once you understand why a spoon of mustard keeps a dressing together you understand a great deal of cooking. This is the ratio, the reason for it, the chemistry in plain terms, and twelve dressings from the shelf.
The ratio, and why it is three to one
Three parts oil to one part acid, by volume, with salt, is the classic and it is right for most vinegars. The proportion exists because a vinegar at five or six percent acidity, which is what most wine and sherry vinegars are, is sharp enough that a quarter of the mix is as much as a leaf of lettuce can take. Milder acids move the ratio: with lemon juice or rice vinegar, two to one works. Stronger flavors move it the other way: a fierce sherry vinegar or a raw yuzu juice might want four to one. The right test is a leaf dipped in the dressing and eaten: it should taste bright and coated, not sour and not greasy. Season the vinegar with salt before the oil goes in, because salt dissolves in vinegar and not in oil, and a dressing salted at the end tastes flat no matter how much you add.
The emulsion, in plain terms
Oil and vinegar do not mix; shaken together, the oil breaks into droplets that quickly find each other and separate again. An emulsion is that state of droplets, held. What holds it is anything that coats the droplets and keeps them apart: in mayonnaise, the lecithin in egg yolk; in a vinaigrette, the mucilage in mustard seed, which is why a teaspoon of Dijon turns a dressing from something that separates in a minute into something that stays creamy for an hour. Honey and maple help by thickening the water phase so the droplets move slowly; a minced shallot or garlic adds a little pectin and a lot of surface; a hard shake in a jar makes the droplets small, and small droplets separate slowly. Whisking the oil in gradually rather than all at once helps for the same reason. None of this is required to dress a salad, since a broken vinaigrette still tastes good, but a held one coats evenly and tastes seasoned in every bite, which is the point. Our Dijon guide has the mustard; the rest of the method is below.
The method
- In a jar or a bowl, combine the acid, a good pinch of fine salt, a teaspoon of mustard if the dressing calls for it, and any minced shallot or garlic. Stir or swirl until the salt dissolves. Let it sit two minutes if there is shallot; the acid tames it.
- Add the oil. In a jar: lid on, shake hard for fifteen seconds. In a bowl: whisk while pouring the oil in a thin stream.
- Taste on a leaf. Adjust salt, then acid, then oil, per the diagnostic.
- Dress the salad at the last moment, with less than you think, and toss with your hands. Leaves should glisten, not pool.
Twelve dressings from the shelf
Each makes about half a cup, enough for a large salad or four small ones. Ratios are oil to acid by volume; the seasoning column lists everything else. The vinegar guide and the olive oil guide cover the bottles.
| Dressing | Oil | Acid | Ratio | Emulsifier and seasoning | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The house sherry vinaigrette | Extra virgin olive oil | Sherry vinegar | 3:1 | 1 tsp Dijon, 1 small shallot minced, salt, pepper | Bitter leaves, lentils, roasted vegetables, warm potatoes |
| Classic Dijon | Extra virgin olive oil | Red wine vinegar | 3:1 | 1 tbsp Dijon, salt, pepper | Butter lettuce, green beans, a steak salad |
| Lemon and honey | Delicate olive oil | Lemon juice | 2:1 | 1 tsp honey, salt, lemon zest | Soft herbs, fennel, shaved vegetables, fruit salads |
| Balsamic, properly | Extra virgin olive oil | White wine vinegar | 3:1 | 1 tsp aged balsamic added at the end, salt | Tomatoes, mozzarella, grilled vegetables. The balsamic is a flavor, not the acid. |
| Anchovy and garlic | Extra virgin olive oil | Lemon juice | 3:1 | 2 anchovy fillets mashed, 1 small garlic clove grated, black pepper, no salt until tasted | Romaine, kale, escarole, a bread salad |
| Yuzu and soy | Neutral oil with a spoon of toasted sesame | Yuzu juice and rice vinegar, half each | 3:1 | 1 tbsp soy, 1 tsp honey, a dab of yuzu kosho | Cold noodles, cucumber, raw fish, avocado |
| Maple and mustard | Extra virgin olive oil | Cider or white wine vinegar | 3:1 | 1 tbsp dark maple, 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, salt | Roasted squash, sweet potatoes, a grain bowl, kale |
| Hot honey and lime | Neutral or light olive oil | Lime juice | 2:1 | 1 tbsp honey, a few drops of hot sauce or a pinch of chile flakes, salt | Slaw, corn, grilled shrimp, watermelon |
| Tahini and lemon | Extra virgin olive oil | Lemon juice | 1:1, plus 2 tbsp tahini and 2 tbsp water | 1 small garlic clove, salt, a pinch of cumin | Roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, grain salads, falafel |
| Caper and herb (a loose salsa verde) | Extra virgin olive oil | White wine vinegar | 4:1 | 1 tbsp capers chopped, a handful of parsley and mint chopped, 1 tsp Dijon, salt | Boiled potatoes, grilled fish, tinned tuna, lamb |
| Brown butter and sherry | Brown butter, warm | Sherry vinegar | 3:1 | 1 tsp Dijon, salt, a few sage leaves fried in the butter | Warm salads, roasted mushrooms, squash, a fried egg |
| Chili crisp | Neutral oil | Rice vinegar | 2:1 | 1 tbsp chili crisp, 1 tsp soy, 1 tsp honey | Cucumbers, cabbage, cold chicken, rice bowls |
The mistakes
Salting after the oil, so the salt never dissolves. Using a delicate oil with a fierce vinegar, or a fierce oil with a delicate one; match intensities. Dressing wet leaves, which dilutes everything; dry them. Drowning the salad; a large bowl of leaves needs two or three tablespoons. Using balsamic as the acid, which makes everything sweet and brown; use it as a seasoning in a white wine vinaigrette instead. And keeping a dressing with garlic or shallot in it for more than a day or two, when it turns harsh; the dressings without alliums keep a week in the refrigerator and need only a shake.
Beyond the salad
Every dressing on the table is a sauce. The sherry vinaigrette over warm lentils or a tin of tuna. The anchovy dressing spooned over grilled vegetables. The maple and mustard brushed on a roasting chicken. The tahini dressing as a dip. The caper and herb over any fish. The yuzu and soy on a piece of cold salmon or a bowl of soba. Once you know the ratio and the emulsion, a bottle of vinegar and a bottle of oil are twelve sauces waiting. The oils, vinegars, mustards, capers, anchovies, yuzu, maple, honey, tahini and chili crisp are at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver, and ship nationwide from theambrosianpantry.com. The jar with a lid is the only equipment.
