White Wine Vinaigrette Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

White Wine Vinaigrette Recipe | Julie Blanner? ›

The most common emulsifiers in your kitchen are likely egg yolks, mayonnaise, prepared mustard (preferably Dijon), honey, and tomato paste (though I'm not a fan of raw tomato paste, the flavor works quite well in a vinaigrette). For a more neutral flavor, use mayonnaise.

The most common emulsifiers in your kitchen are likely egg yolks, mayonnaise, prepared mustard (preferably Dijon), honey, and tomato paste (though I'm not a fan of raw tomato paste, the flavor works quite well in a vinaigrette). For a more neutral flavor, use mayonnaise.

Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that's fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar.

This is a sour liquid comprising a dilute solution of acetic acid. It is obtained by the natural fermentation of white wine. It ranges in colour from clear white to pale yellow, depending on which wine is used.

Emulsifiers mix easily with both oil and water and act as the glue that keeps your vinaigrette from separating. Common ingredients used as emulsifiers in vinaigrettes include Dijon mustard, honey, egg yolks, tomato paste or even roasted garlic (some are better emulsifiers than others).

Mustard is a powerful emulsifier and will help stabilize it. To build a normal emulsion without any help from mustard or other emulsifiers, you must add the drops of oil a little at a time into the vinegar while whisking or whizzing with a blender or stick blender, allowing them to disperse.

An emulsifier is used in a vinaigrette to stabilize the oil and vinegar. Common emulsifiers include egg yolks, soy lecithin, and mustard. These ingredients all include lecithin--the stabilizing compound. In many vinaigrettes, mustard is the go-to stabilizer.

One of the most useful and effective stabilizers for vinaigrettes is mustard. Any other ingredients, such as spices and finely chopped herbs, that form small particles can also help stabilize a temporary emulsion by getting between droplets.

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

What goes first, olive oil or vinegar? ›

First Oil, Then Vinegar. It's somewhat akin to the old Far Side adage, "First Pants, Then Shoes." If you add the vinegar first, the oil slides off and ends up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl, instead of coating every leaf. 3 to 1. This is the standard ratio of oil to vinegar: three parts oil to one part vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar: Makes a bold, slightly sweet dressing that is wonderful on green salads with fruit, such as apples, strawberries or peaches. Red wine vinegar: Packs a punch and works well with other bold flavors and bright veggies, like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, cabbage and more (think Greek salads).

Mix the wine and starter together.

If you're using a live vinegar, add 3 tablespoons of vinegar for every cup of wine. If you're using a mother, follow the instructions on the package. Otherwise, add the mother to the wine and gently mix it in.

White vinegar is stronger than apple cider with a higher percentage of acetic acid. Reach for apple cider vinegar when you want to add flavor to salad dressings and sauces. Choose distilled white vinegar when you want to pickle foods or add acidity without imparting any extra flavors.

White vinegar may have significant health benefits due to its acetic acid content, including blood sugar control, weight management, reduced cholesterol and antimicrobial properties.

A 3-to-1 ratio of oil to vinegar makes for a perfectly smooth, thick emulsion. Dijon mustard helps emulsify the oil and vinegar/water while shallots add mild sweetness.

Emulsion is the mixture of two or more liquids that do not naturally mix together. A classic example of emulsion in cooking the mixture oil and vinegar to make a simple vinaigrette. There are two types of emulsion, temporary and permanent.

2 Ingredients: The basics

To make a bare-bones vinaigrette, all you need is vinegar (sherry, Champagne, balsamic, cider, red, white, or rice wine vinegar all work) and oil (go with a neutral vegetable oil like grapeseed for a mild base, or your best extra-virgin olive oil for grassier undertones).

Another trick to getting your dressing to emulsify is to add a third ingredient that acts as a helper. Mustard is the classic French addition, but you could also experiment with miso or even agave nectar, depending on whether your palate leans toward saltier or sweeter flavors.