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French Salad
Dressing Recipes
French
Salad Dressing : Definition and Recipes
A typical French
salad dressing consists of a mixture of vinegar and oil
(generally vegetable oil in the north and olive oil in the
south); within France this is known as a vinaigrette (from the
diminutive of the French word
vanaigre,
meaning vinegar). This can be found in almost any medium-level
restaurant in France.
At home, and in
nicer French restaurants, additional ingredients are added, such
as herbs or garlic. The exact ingredients and quantities depend
on the individual cook as there are no official "French Salad
Dressing" recipes.
Outside France,
the term "French Salad Dressing" is often used to describe salad
dressings which are French only in name, and which would only be
found in France if imported (at which point one can imagine many
French people would be rather bemused to see the title "French
Salad Dressing" to describe something quite foreign to them). In
the USA and Canada, the term "French Salad Dressing" is often
used to describe what is essentially a mixture of oil, vinegar
and ketchup.
Basic Recipe
- Simply oil and vinegar, as described above. I prefer a high
quality olive oil.
Traditional French Salad Dressing - A traditional
recipe based on white wine vinegar.
French Salad Dressing (Mustard)
- Ready in 5 minutes and goes with most salads. Don't be put off
by the mustard, this is actually a soft and smooth salad
dressing.
Notes:
Because oil and
vinegar do not mix well, they are often served in separate
bottles; each person pours onto their salad first from one
bottle and then from another. In a medium-priced French
restaurant, a vinaigrette is typically served in a pair of very
basic looking square bottles, often sitting in a metal holder so
that both can be carried together.
If you are
purchasing a oil and vinegar set for your own home, one can also
find rather more elegant bottles. It is also possible to buy a
vinaigrette
bottle which has two compartments (each with its own spout), so
that both ingredients are within a single bottle. In particular
I like the bottles which have an inner compartment and an outer
compartment; if one places a olive oil in the inside chamber and
a white vinegar in the outside chamber, the resulting appearance
is quite attractive (although sometimes rather more difficult to
manage than separate bottles).
It is also
possible to server a French salad dressing in a single bottle.
However, if one uses the basic recipe (just oil and vinegar)
they do not mix well so each guest will have to vigorously shake
the bottle and will then have a few seconds in which to quickly
pour the dressing before the ingredients separate (an activity
which hardly befits an elegant dining experience). With some of
the more elaborate recipes, the additional ingredients (e.g.
soured cream) may bind the oil and vinegar together, so the
dressing can be served in a single container.
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