A Basic Vinaigrette

The basic vinaigrette is a wonderful starter in the world of cooking

This was one of the first things I learned to make consistently and well. Here are the reasons I think that this is a great starting point for a clueless cook.

1. It teaches improvisation and flexibility by providing a framework in which you can can can experiment.
2. It is full of lots of fuzzy terms like "until done," pinch and brisk that you can get more comfortable with.
3. It's really really easy to do and pretty hard to screw up.
4. Once you have tried it, you will never go back to a commercial vinaigrette.
5. It takes very few tools and very few ingredients.
   

First, what tools do you need to need...

• A bowl (non-aluminum) (I often use a cereal bowl)
• A whisk (You might be able to get away with a fork, but put the oil in slower)
  

I hear about people doing this in a blender or a food processor or with a stick blender. I don't buy that at all. I don't think they produce a meaningfully different result and you will spend ten times as long cleaning them as you would using them. A whisk and bowl are easy to use and easier to clean.

What ingredients do you need?
This is where it gets fun. For the most basic vinaigrette all you need is:

• Vinegar(s) (any kind other than white vinegar, though white wine vinegar is fine) [Some]
  
• Salt [A pinch]
  
• Oil [Roughly two to four times as much as vinegar]
  
• Flavoring [to taste]
  

Now, on to the preparation.

1. Slosh some vinegar in the bowl
2. Add a pinch of salt
3. Add some flavoring (more on this later)
4. Start whisking
5. Slowly stream the oil in. (this should take about 20-30 seconds per tablespoon of oil)
   

You can stop here, the rest is just bonus material.

Now for my best tips

• DON'T MEASURE ANYTHING!
• Taste, taste, taste, taste, taste
• If you don't know how much to add of anything, add less than you think you need, taste, add more if you need it. This applies to the salt, oil and flavorings
• When vague/fuzzy terms are used, it often means "to taste." When you see them in many recipes, start small and taste often.
• Only make as much as you need for one meal. This lets you try this again and again, and if you don't like what you make, throw it out and try again, it's less than a dollars worth of ingredients.

More Details

• Flavorings. These can be just about anything you can think of...any spice in your cupboard, mustard, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, shallots, sesame seeds, sugar, honey, wine, lemon juice, lime zest, pepper, chili powder, etc. etc. etc
• Start with just a few flavors at a time. Too many at once can cause problems.
• A few drops of fish sauce won't be tasted but can really improve the flavor.
• If you add garlic, the finer it is, the stronger it will taste. A garlic press will give about the strongest flavor.
• Salt is required.
• I usually try to end up with about 2-3 Tablespoons of vinaigrette per serving.
• You don't technically need to use vinegar, you can also use lemon, lime or orange juice.
• The less oil you use, the more tart the dressing will be. When I make a very tart vinaigrette, I will often add something sweet to the salad to offset the tartness like dried cherries, dried apricots, poached pears, etc.
• You can fix a vinaigrette pretty easily. Too tart--add more oil, too mild--add more vinegar, overly flavored--add more oil and vinegar, too mild--add more flavoring.
• If you have some left over, you can save it, but the oil and vinegar will separate. I usually keep it in a sealed container and just shake it. You can also just whisk it briefly again
• There are things that will help keep the oil and vinegar from separating. The most common one is dried mustard--delicious and effective. Honey also works. You can also use a bit of egg yolk, but do so at your own risk, the FDA says it's dangerous. I still vote for making what you need and not bothering to save it or just remixing it before using it.
• Aluminum can react with vinegar and give you vinaigrette an 'off' taste
• Waiting an hour or two before using a vinaigrette can help the flavors mix, but I often don't bother.
  

Examples:

Balsamic

• Balsamic Vinegar
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Asian

• Rice Vinegar
• Ginger (Grated)
  
• Soy Sauce
• Fish Sauce (Two Drops)
  
• Mirin
• Salt
• Sesame oil (Light or Dark)

Poppy Seed

• Sugar (one tablespoons per quarter cup of oil)
  
• Salt
• Lime juice
  
• Dry Mustard
  
• Minced Onion
  
• Oil (whatever you like)
  
• poppy seeds (one tablespoons per quarter cup of oil)