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On the surface, the best salad dressings are charmingly simple. Almost ridiculously so. Oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply mix together and there you have it a classic vinaigrette. Otherwise known as French dressing. What could be easier?
Well, many things actually. Because if good salad dressings are really that easy how come they are so frustratingly difficult to come by?
As is so often the case with good cooking, their apparent simplicity is in fact a sham; a veil behind which is hidden a good deal of care and attention.
Nonetheless, anyone can master the trick of making a fine salad dressing. All that is required is a certain amount of thought and the willingness to follow a few important rules.
First of all you don't really simply require oil. In fact, you require, olive oil - and extra virgin at that. This is the best grade of oil from the first cold pressing of the olives.
The oil should be fragrant: fruity, peppery, spicy perhaps - depending on its country of origin. But whether its French, Italian, Spanish or Greek the most important thing is quality. There should be no unpleasant aftertaste. Oleic acid content, if you can establish it, should be below one per cent.
Next comes the vinegar. Spirit won't do. Neither will malt. It should be wine vinegar. A good red one would be my first choice. It's worth spending a little extra for a good quality product.
What about the salt? Well, I'm afraid there are rules for that too. Maldon sea salt is the finest. But I wouldn't say your dressing will spoil with an inferior variety.
As for the pepper, it should be freshly ground and black. This is important.
You've still got to mix the ingredients - and this stage has too often been the graveyard for many a well-intentioned salad dressing.
The most common fault is an excess of vinegar. There is a saying that it takes three men to make a vinaigrette dressing: a generous man to add the oil, a miser to add the vinegar and a wise man to add the seasoning.
All going well they should end up with a salad dressing which has roughly one part vinegar to five parts oil. Experiment to get the ratio just right.
One other thing. The seasoning should be added to the vinegar first - just a pinch. Mix well, then add the oil and shake or stir.
Add your dressing to a salad bowl overflowing with lettuce leaves at the last minute - just before serving. Don't over do it. The idea is to dress the salad with the vinaigrette - not drown it. Toss and, after a little more effort than first imagined, there you have it: a delicious salad; perfect summer eating, and still pretty easy.
If you prefer to complicate matters slightly a number of minor deviations to the above formula are possible.
Try adding a little mustard - French Dijon is best - if the dressing is destined for a salad containing meat. Lemon juice can substituted for vinegar to give a lighter dressing.
Garlic is another welcome addition. Work it to a paste by chopping finely, sprinkling on a little salt and then crushing with the side of a knife. Add the garlic - sparingly - at the same time as the seasoning.
For a subtler effect, simply slice a clove of garlic in two and rub the cut surfaces round the bowl in which you intend to make your dressing.
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