White Wine Vinaigrette Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making vinaigrette? ›

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).

Put the mustard, vinegar and olive oil in a jar and season. Shake vigorously to mix. Store in a cool place (not the fridge) until ready to use. Use for all your salads or try one of our recipes, right.

The standard house dressing is a combination of vinegar, oil, garlic, herbs, and a touch of sugar, but each restaurant has its own method, proportions, and add-ons.

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.

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last? Traditional vinaigrettes, like the balsamic version listed below, will last longer—sometimes up to a few weeks. However, anything with fresh garlic should be consumed within a few days, as the combination of garlic and oil can form harmful bacteria over time.

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

The Oils. Generally speaking, any oils labeled "vegetable oil" or "salad oil" are fine for making a basic vinaigrette. You could also use any light, neutral-flavored oil like safflower, canola, or soybean oil. One of the most common variations is to substitute olive oil for salad oil.

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

In addition to being an excellent household cleaner, distilled white vinegar can serve as a white wine vinegar replacement. The base ingredient of distilled white vinegar is grain alcohol, so its acidity can seem harsh without the floral, fruity flavors of white wine.

What happens if I use white wine vinegar instead of white wine? ›

Another good option, white wine vinegar is good as a replacement for dry white wine. It is much more acidic than white wine though so it should be diluted with water or stock. Use a ratio of 50% white wine vinegar to 50% water or stock. You will get flavour from stock but it lacks the acidity of white wine.

Culinary Tips for a Basic Vinaigrette Dressing (with Variations) This is a standard vinaigrette recipe, so we use the traditional oil to vinegar ratio: three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste.

Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.

A balsamic vinaigrette typically involves adding oil, sugar, and/or mustard to balsamic vinegar, along with seasonings like garlic, salt, and pepper. While it can be made in a way that makes it healthier than several other salad dressing options, it can't compare to simply using the vinegar and oil.