Mastering Vinaigrette; The Essential Ratio & Creative Ingredient Combinations

Knowing how to make your own vinaigrette is a versatile and invaluable tool in the kitchen, with endless potential ingredient combinations. Here is what you need to know to design your own flavour: The Golden Ratio {3 parts oil: 1 part acid} 1 cup vinaigrette= 3/4 cup oil 1/4 cup acid 1 tbsp mustard 2 tbsp sweetener +Flavours Making your own dressing can sound daunting if you have never tried before, but once you understand the simple ratio, it is surprisingly easing. Traditionally speaking, vinaigrettes are made using 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. However, I prefer mine to be a bit more tart, so I usually use a 2 parts oil:1 part acid ratio. Feel free to adjust accordingly to suit your preferences or intended use for the vinaigrette. Below are suggestions of different ingredients to use for the different categories. Oil Oil composes the main body of the dressing. Neutral oils work best to help carry other flavours (like canola, vegetable, avocado, grape seed, coconut, a bit of olive, etc.). In most cases I use canola with a bit of olive oil (100% olive can be too strong and it will also solidify if kept in the fridge). In moderation, flavoured oils can be also be added like nut and seed oils (sesame, pumpkin seed, flax, etc.) and even a splash of truffle oil. Different oils can be combined. Feel free to get out the "good" olive oil for this. Acid I love acidity in my food, so I personally prefer a more acidic vinaigrette. Here is where you can get really creative. You can really use any vinegar you can get your hands on: balsamic, apple cider, malt, sherry (my personal favourite), red wine, white wine, champagne, rice wine, etc. You can also use other sour ingredients like pickle brine (just be mindful of the salt) and citrus juices too (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, and even yuzu). Emulsify Mustard is the "secret" ingredient to help emulsify. Emulsification is the combination of two liquids that don't normally mix, in this case; oil and water. Compounds in mustard help to naturally emulsify. Even if you don't like mustard, don't skip this ingredient! It is added in such a small amount that doesn't stand out flavour-wise, but you need it to help incorporate the other ingredients. When it comes to what type of mustard, in my experience, the "grainier" whole-grain options work best for emulsification. Balance We've added a lot of sour with our acidic components, so it needs to be balanced out through the addition of sweeteners. My go-to is usually honey, but I also regularly use maple syrup and date syrup (which has a great depth of flavour and adds nicely to the viscosity). Other sweeteners include simple granulated sugars, balsamic glaze, agave, pomegrante molasses, and even jams, jellies, and marmalades (all lend themselves nicely to increasing the dressing's ability to coat and stick to ingredients). Flavour Now it is time to season and add flavour. Salt and pepper may be the initial additions, but consider the vast array of other culinary ingredients at your disposal: •Nut/seed butters (great for increasing the viscosity) •Spices •Fresh/dried herbs •Citrus zest •Sliced fresh chilis •Fish sauce •Shallot •Chili crisp •Hot sauce •Soy Sauce

•Miso paste •Worscestershire •Fruit purees (or blend them directly in with an immersion blender) •Chopped pepperocini or other pickled peppers

•Capers •Minced pickles •Finely grated or roasted garlic •Finely grated ginger •Tahini •Preserved lemon (a personal favourite) •Soy sauce •Anchovy paste •Cheeses (like crumbled blue, finely grated parmesan, and goat cheese) •Sour cream •Greek yogurt •Mayonnaise ...and the list goes on! This is the perfect opportunity to dig deep into your pantry and use those "I don't know how I will use this but I am going to buy it anyways" ingredients that you may have been accumulating. Inspiration The sky is the limit, but consider some of these combinations as a place to start... Asian= Canola/Veg & Sesame Oil + Rice Wine Vinegar + Dijon Mustard + Honey + Garlic, Ginger, Soy Sauce, Miso, Toasted Sesame Seeds, & Chili Crisp Spanish= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + Sherry Vinegar + Dijon Mustard + Date Syrup + Black Pepper + Smoked Paprika Greek= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + Red Wine Vinegar & Lemon Juice + Dijon Mustard + Honey + Lemon Zest & Dried Oregano Fruity Balsamic= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar + Dijon Mustard + Honey & Balsamic Glaze + Fresh Fruit (pureed) Mexican= Canola/Veg + Lime Juice + Dijon Mustard + Honey + Hot Sauce, Garlic, & Cumin Blue Cheese= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + Red Wine Vinegar + Dijon Mustard + Maple Syrup + Crumbled Blue Cheese & Mayonnaise Curry= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + White Wine Vinegar + Dijon Mustard + Date Syrup + Shallots, Garlic, Ginger, Fresh Chili, & Curry Powder Lebanese= Canola/Veg & Olive Oil + Lemon Juice + Dijon Mustard + Date Syrup + Za'atar & Sumac Thai= Canola/Veg & Liquid Coconut + Rice Wine Vinegar & Lime Juice + Dijon Mustard + Palm (or Brown) Sugar + Fish Sauce, Lime Zest, Garlic, Fresh Chili, Toasted Rice Powder*, & Cilantro *Brown lightly oiled raw rice in a frying pan and blend until coarse If you want to make a dressing creamy, you can add in sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise. Nut/seed butters also add a creaminess and create a velvety texture. And those are just some ideas to get you started! The possibilities are endless. Procedure There is much to be said for the slow drizzling of oil while vigorously whisking to help build a temporary emulsion, but I am going to be honest with you... I usually combine all of the ingredients in a liquid-proof container and aggressively shake or even use an immersion blender while slowly pouring in the oil (the friction of the blades help to thicken). If you are using an immersion or stand blender, be careful not to overdue it. Prolonged use with friction slowly heating up your dressing will eventually cause your dressing to split. Play around with the technique to find what suites you best and what you find most convenient. So, there you have it! Now you know the simple ratio for how to makes vinaigrette, lots of different ingredient ideas, and you can start creating your very own flavour combinations.