Dressings

There are so many different oils and vinegars available now that if one ate a salad every day for a month it would be easy to dress it differently every time. The usual starting point would be to combine oil and vinegar in whatever proportion and move on from there, but a moment’s thought suggests plenty of other possibilities. Oil of one kind or another is pretty much essential, but different kinds of vinegar can be employed – cider, balsamic, sherry, single grape varieties – or replaced by citrus juices, verjus, dry white wine, even passion fruit juice. Or in the case of hazelnut or walnut oil, no acid element at all, although unless you are an addict a bit of dilution is in order. The short-term emulsion of a conventional vinaigrette can be stabilized, and the complexion of the dressing transformed, by introducing raw or hard-boiled egg yolks, made mustard, pounded anchovies or nuts, plain or sun-dried tomato purée or ketchup, cream and so on. Add another dimension with different herbs – use lavishly – and yet another with shallots and garlic – and there’s tons of scope for the imagination.