Vinaigrette for spinach and persimmon salad
There is no one right way to do anything. So it is with vinaigrettes. Mixed baby greens need a dressing very different from endive, pears, Gorgonzola, and walnuts. Arugula is best served with a simple dressing, different from a salad of spinach, Fuyu persimmons, and glazed pecans.
The main variables are the acidity of the vinegar or citrus used, the quality or type of oil, and your taste. What I have learned so far is that a good starting point for the vinegar to oil ratio is about 1:4. Imported vinegar may be stronger than domestic ones requiring a ratio of 1:5 or 1:6.
Lemon juice or orange juice is less acidic perhaps requiring a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio. I have read that French chefs prefer more acidic vinaigrettes.
These recipes are the clinical guidelines to use as a starting point for making vinaigrettes in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Salt and pepper
- Champagne Vinaigrette — Great with endive, pears, and walnuts
- 6 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
- 8 tablespoons walnut oil (deviates from all the guidelines above)
- Salt and pepper
- Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette — Works very well with arugula and takes about 2 minutes to make
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice (I used to get fussy about how I squeezed lemons until I saw real chefs squeeze the lemons in their hands, letting the juice strain through their fingers and capturing the seeds)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt — Arugula is peppery in its own right, so regular black pepper may not be needed.
- Classic Vinaigrette — Great with any mix of baby greens, with or without additional ingredients
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or champagne vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoon olive oil (the 1:4 ratio)
- Fresh herbs: parsley, chervil, marjoram, thyme leaves or basil, finely chopped Pepper
Directions
- Mix the shallots, salt, and vinegar and let sit for about 20 minutes.
- Whisk in the olive oil then the herbs.