Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 Comments Published by Justin October 14th, 2006 in Recipies, Sauces, Marinades & Dressings, VeggoI pretty much grew up with one salad dressing in my life. To me, it is my father’s recipie; I don’t know where he learned it nor can I be confident that I haven’t unwittingly modified it (as does happen with oral traditions), but I consider it his all the same.
He always emphasized the need for a wooden salad bowl in which to prepare the dressing; I have abandoned that for practical purposes, but certainly appreciate the intent. I typically prepare it in a coffee mug with a fork and a tiny little whisk.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Dijon mustard
Garlic cloves
Sugar
Salt & Pepper
I am not a big fan of measurements. I understand that certain scientific endeavors, such as baking bread, require precise formulas. You will please understand that I avoid any such endeavors. I prefer the artsy, auteurist side of food; the side in which you taste your way to the finish line, adding another pinch here or another splash there. That said, I’ll try to ballpark things in the hopes that I give a good starting point which might also serve as a decent finish.
People’s opinions vary when it comes to oil:vinegar ratios. Some call for 1:1; others prefer 2:1. I would say that if you start at 2:1, you can taste your way to personal preference; I am somewhere in that grey area and I end up tasting my way there every time. For half a cup of dressing, I might use a teaspoon each of mustard and sugar and two cloves of garlic. Salt and pepper are, in this as in most every other recipie, completely and utterly ‘to taste.’
My garlic habits are a bit rigid (and stem from my father), but I do believe that they make a difference. To wit the garlic must be crushed by fork and only in the container in which the dressing is being mixed. My rationale for the fork is that the crushing releases the juices and flavor but keeps the clove in one piece so as to infuse with the flavor of the garlic but avoid overkill. As for the location of the crushing, if the juices are to be released, they shouldn’t be released onto a counter-top or cutting board, but into the other ingredients. In simpler terms: drop the cloves into the cup and use a fork to squish them against its side.
Beyond this, I’m relatively flexible. Whisk it all up then it sit. The longer you allow the dressing to sit, the more the flavors will mingle and intensify. Whisk it again, toss with your greenery and serve it up, keeping those cloves off of people’s plates.
Thank you for this! I have learned something helpful, the fork-method for my garlic
My first encounter with the ambrosia that is balsamic vinegar was when I was little and tried my dad’s treat: Crosse and Blackwell’s pickled baby walnuts, their still-edible shells dark from the vinegar.
Then, last Sunday, I saw a high-up sign above the vinegars, oils and salad dressings: a lead-content warning about balsamic vinegar!
Later my unbelieving friend read the label of her balsamic vinegar: “Oh! Lead, 10%” she said.
Now my unscientific mind did not take note of whether that was 10% of what it takes to give you the ability to sink fast in water, or 10% of one’s daily maximum allowable…?
Bottom line — don’t put the balsamic in baby formula.
Where would the lead come from?
Is there balsamic vinegar that’s not leaded, like unleaded gas… or what?
Now I’m wondering if my friend was putting me on. I went to the grocery store and read the label on EVERY bottle of balsamic vinaigrette (one boasted that it was 18 years old) — None said a word about Lead Content!
Bleah
pin-pin
I just went to the grocery store (Save Mart) two days ago to pick up some red wine vinegar. I was shocked to read a large white lable on the shelf just under the red wine vinegar stating something to the fact ” ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, VINEGARS ON THESE SHELVES HAVE LEAD IN IT WHICH IS KNOWN TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS”. I was OUTRAGED!!! Considering I have been eating it on my salad for the last 9 months of being pregnant, and now I am breastfeeding!!!! I would like to know more information about this!!
Deonna
Carmel Valley, CA
Yeah… I’m in the same boat as you are with that. I’m seven months pregnant and regularly use balsamic vinegar in my salads. I live in the Santa Cruz area and the warning signs have just gone up in our local supermarkets which makes it seem like having red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar is comparable to drinking poison.
Oddly, the bottle of balsamic I *just* bought a week ago at Trader Joe’s has no such warning and they’re usually overly cautious about such things. (e.g. Their *entire* shelf of tuna and/or tuna-like fish has dire warnings about mercury levels in all tunas.)
I’ve read that the balsamic vinegar warnings are overly cautious and that you’d have to ingest huge daily quantities for it to be a concern (e.g. 1 to 2 cups a day). But even so, it is worrying… and it does stink too. It seems like every time I feel like I’m making healthy choices, something will come up in the news claiming that whatever it is that I’m eating is contaminated with some chemical or heavy metal or is otherwise bad for me. I suppose this is another argument for eating a variety of foods every day, so that if it turns out that one food source isn’t as wholesome as another – that it has very little impact on your health… but still…
I was rather proud of myself that I had recently switched from using this salad dressing mix that my husband prefers – which is rather thick and goopy – to the lighter (and I thought – healthier) balsamic vinaigrette I’ve been mixing up lately. I use so much less salad dressing than I used to with the vinaigrette and I thought that could only be a good thing – ’till this came to light anyway… Unfortunately, with red wine vinegars being branded with the same health warnings – there aren’t that many other savory options left. White wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar and even rice vinegar just aren’t as tasty solo as balsamic is…
So I’m either going to be on the lookout for balsamic that doesn’t contain lead… or I’ll “go back to the drawing board” in figuring out how to make a healthy light dressing for salads that I’m happy with.