Basic Herb Vinaigrette
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Monday, December 14, 2009 - 12:48am

Ingredients




3/4 cup safflower or canola oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fried herbs, such as basil, chives, Kosher salt and freshly ground white or 





Preparation

1 Combine the mustard and vinegar in a bowl and whisk together until combined.

 2 Pour the mustard vinegar mixture into a blender and add the oil, herbs and seasonings. Blend for about 10 seconds or until fully combined.

 3 Transfer to a glass bowl or jar and let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.  4 Whisk the dressing once more before serving. 


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Comments




 

Permalink Stephen LongJune 19, 2011  

I don't understand! The article states a rule of thumb about proportions, and then immediately violates it. Rather than 3:1, oil:acid, the recipe calls for 1-1/3:1. This is far to acidic, especially if paired with wine. Julia Child recommended "dry martini proportions" of 5:1. Deborah Madison's classic Meyer lemon vinaigrette is 2:1, but Meyers have only 1/2 to 2/3 the acidity of wine vinegars, which are typically 5 or 6% acid.
 





 

Permalink Sheri WetherellJune 20, 2011  

My error, Stephen, sorry! I meant to put 3/4 cup instead of 1/3. I've edited. Thanks for catching my mistake :)
 








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Preparation

 1  Combine the mustard and vinegar in a bowl and whisk together until combined.

  2  Pour the mustard vinegar mixture into a blender and add the oil, herbs and seasonings. Blend for about 10 seconds or until fully combined.

  3  Transfer to a glass bowl or jar and let stand for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.   4  Whisk the dressing once more before serving.

About


The key to a good vinaigrette is the "3:1 rule" - 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. If the vinegar is a highly acidic one, then you can adjust accordingly. Lemon juice may also be used in place of vinegar. Mustard is also an important component in a vinaigrette as it acts as an emulsifier, thus preventing the oil and vinegar from separating.

Comments:
Stephen Long

I don't understand! The article states a rule of thumb about proportions, and then immediately violates it. Rather than 3:1, oil:acid, the recipe calls for 1-1/3:1. This is far to acidic, especially if paired with wine. Julia Child recommended "dry martini proportions" of 5:1. Deborah Madison's classic Meyer lemon vinaigrette is 2:1, but Meyers have only 1/2 to 2/3 the acidity of wine vinegars, which are typically 5 or 6% acid.
Sheri Wetherell

My error, Stephen, sorry! I meant to put 3/4 cup instead of 1/3. I've edited. Thanks for catching my mistake :)