An Honest Vinaigrette: Oil, Acid, Salt
A vinaigrette is the simplest sauce in the kitchen and the one most often bought needlessly in a bottle. It is oil, acid and salt, balanced to taste — nothing more required. Because oil is the bulk of it, this is the dressing that most rewards a good extra virgin, and most exposes a bad one.
The ratio and the method
Start from the classic three-to-one: three parts oil to one part acid, then adjust to your taste. Put the acid — red or white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, lemon — in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and whisk until the salt dissolves; salt dissolves in the acid, not the oil. Add a little Dijon mustard if you like, which helps it emulsify and adds depth. Then whisk in the extra virgin in a steady stream until it comes together, glossy and slightly thickened. Taste, and balance: too sharp, add oil; too flat, add acid or salt. That’s the whole technique — seconds of work for something far better than any bottle.
Why the oil decides it
Since oil is three-quarters of a vinaigrette, its quality is the dressing’s quality. A fresh, fruity extra virgin gives a dressing with real character; a tired, flat or cut oil makes a greasy, dull one no amount of mustard will rescue. That said, match the oil to the job: a fierce, very peppery oil can overwhelm a delicate salad, where a milder oil sits better, while robust leaves and bitter greens welcome a bolder one. Make it fresh each time — it takes seconds — and dress the leaves at the last moment, lightly, so they glisten rather than drown. Honest food, honestly made.
For tender lettuces and delicate leaves, use a milder, fruity oil so you don’t bury them; for bitter greens, tomatoes or robust salads, reach for a bolder, peppery extra virgin that can hold its own. Always taste the finished vinaigrette on a leaf, not just off the spoon — it reads differently once it’s coating something. Dress lightly and at the last minute.
Method from general home cooking; the classic vinaigrette ratio.