Never buy bottled salad dressing again.
The author’s son makes a batch of dressing.
The first time I tasted my mother-in-law’s salad dressing, I fell in love. I begged her to teach me how to make it, and ever since my husband and I got married over 30 years ago, we’ve made it almost every night. This is the only true and living salad dressing (except for that yummy ginger-carrot stuff they have at sushi restaurants). We have no bottled dressing in our refrigerator; why would we, when this is so much better, and so easy to make?
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon wine vinegar*
1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard*
1 teaspoon Maggi liquid seasoning*
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (Increase to 1/2 teaspoon if you have no Maggi.)
Several grindings of black pepper
2 tablespoons heavy cream, crème fraîche**, or sour cream
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped finely or pressed(optional, but delicious, especially if your salad contains avocado)
Whisk all ingredients together in the bottom of your salad bowl. Dip your finger in it and then taste it; it should taste almost too strong, because the vegetables will dilute it a bit. (To help avoid dilution, seed your tomatoes and cucumbers.)
Add the salad ‘extras,’ e.g. cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, scallions to the bottom of the salad bowl. Toss the extras with the dressing thoroughly, then add the salad greens on top. (We love butter lettuce best, but you can use any kind of lettuce, spinach, arugula, etc.) Don’t toss the dressing/extras with the salad greens until just before serving, or the greens will wilt.
* This basic recipe allows for infinite variations.
You can change the vinegar: red or white wine, herb-infused, or (fantastic if you can get it) the French brand Melfor.
You can change the mustard; the Maille brand in particular has several exciting varieties, like tarragon, espelette pepper, or truffle.
Instead of Maggi (which we use because my husband’s family is Swiss, and which is pronounced at our house like the French word “magie,” which means “magic,” which it is), you can use Vegemite or Marmite, or even fresh miso (all these alternatives take a lot more whisking, however).
** To make your own crème fraîche, fill a pint Mason jar almost to the top with heavy cream. Use pasteurized if you can get it; it thickens better than ultra-pasteurized. Add a couple of tablespoons of buttermilk, screw the lid on the jar, and shake gently a few times. Leave on your counter for 24 hours, then transfer to the fridge. It keeps for about a week. It’s delicious not only in vinaigrette, but also in mashed potatoes, on top of fresh fruit, or stirred into macaroni and cheese.
Bon appétit!