The house dressing. One jar in the fridge and salad stops being a chore.
Bought dressing is expensive, over-sweetened and full of things you would not put in yourself. This takes two minutes in a jar and keeps for two weeks, and the balsamic means it needs almost no added sugar to balance.
Method
-
Put the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic in a clean jar and shake to combine.
-
Add the oil, screw the lid on tightly, and shake hard for 20 seconds until it thickens and turns opaque. The mustard is what holds it together, without it the dressing splits within a minute.
-
Taste on a leaf, not off a spoon. Dressing always tastes sharper on its own than it does on salad.
-
Adjust: more oil if it bites, a little honey if it needs rounding, more salt if it tastes flat.
-
Keep in the fridge for up to two weeks. Take it out 15 minutes before using and shake again, olive oil solidifies when cold.
Tips
-
Three parts oil to one part vinegar is the classic ratio. Because this vinegar is sweeter than most, you can push to four parts oil if you prefer it gentler.
-
Dress leaves at the very last second and use less than you think. Soggy salad is always over-dressed salad.
-
Excellent on rocket with pear and parmesan, on a warm potato salad, or spooned over grilled chicken.