Vinaigrettes

Strictly speaking, vinaigrettes are emulsions of vinegar and oil, but in contemporary kitchens the definition is often stretched to include an emulsion of an acid, such as lemon juice or verjuice, containing not only oil but sometimes cream. Long relegated for use as dressings for green salads and cold foods, vinaigrettes have come into their own as both hot and cold sauces that can be served with meats, fish, and vegetables. Vinaigrettes are relatively unstable emulsions that break if left to sit. The most common emulsifier is mustard, but many contemporary vinaigrettes are constructed around vegetable purées, such as tomato, sweet pepper, or garlic. Modernist vinaigrettes may contain lecithin, xanthan gum, propylene glycol alginate, or other stabilizing ingredients. When using these ingredients, water-soluble thickeners (propylene glycol alginate, sucrose esters, and xanthan gum) should be added to the aqueous phase (the vinegar or other liquid), and oil-soluble ingredients (such as liquid lecithin and mono- and diglycerides [Glice]) to the oil. So-called vinaigrettes that have been stabilized with egg yolks are, strictly speaking, light-style mayonnaises.