Creamy Vinaigrette

With recipes like Potato Gateau with Hickory Smoked Bacon, Onions and Comté and Tarte Flambée (Flatbread with Fromage Blanc, Onions, and Bacon) it might be surprising that the first recipe I chose to make from Gabriel Kreuther’s recently released culinary tome, The Spirit of Alsace Cookbook, was vinaigrette. It’s true. I find that a good vinaigrette can make or break a salad, and a good salad can make or break a meal. I always make fresh vinaigrette every week because it’s so simple. When I saw that Gabriel had a variety of different recipes, I wondered how much different they could possibly be from my own. The difference was a subtle but important one — he adds a small amount of nut oil to finish.

I made his creamy vinaigrette, and absolutely loved it. To make the creamy vinaigrette he adds just a few ingredients to his base vinaigrette as follows.

 Base Vinaigrette

Salt (start with ½ teaspoon, as the vinegar should taste salty)
2½ to 3 tablespoons and sherry vinegar, Sherry, red wine vinegar
Pepper
½ cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil

Combine the salt and vinegar in a mixing bowl and whisk to dissolve the salt, then add the pepper. Whisk in the oil. This can be stored for a week in the fridge.

Creamy Vinaigrette

Whisk 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons finely minced onion, and 1 to 2 tablespoons water into the vinaigrette base. Allow the vinaigrette to rest for 20 to 30 minutes so that the onion tempers and infuses the dressing. The dressing should be served the same day it is made.

Use this vinaigrette for a tomato or endive salad. Again, as with all vinaigrettes, the addition of just a little nut oil adds great nuance to the dressing’s flavor.

In the case of both the base and the creamy variety, instead of using a whisk, I used a small high-speed blender. That little gadget will emulsify salad dressing like nobody’s business.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of The Spirit of Alsace Cookbook as a part of the Abrams Dinner Party Program for 2021-22.

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