Vinaigrette Dressings

Vinaigrettes are usually oil-based-olive, walnut, arachide (groundnut) sunflower, colza, corn, grape-pip, soybean, cotton-seed, sesame-seed and poppy-seed oils can all be used. Then there are the vinegars-cider, wine, sherry, honey, pineapple and other fruits such as raspberry, cherry and gooseberry. (Unfortunately, there are also the distilled vinegars, low on taste and strong on acidity.) Lemon or lime juice, verjus or mustard can all be used instead of vinegar to add the necessary acidity.

Herbs play an important part in salads too – chervil, parsley, chives, tarragon, celery, garlic, onion and chilli peppers. Finally, we must not forget salt and pepper.