This is a bare-bones recipe for the simple all-purpose vinaigrette, which you will vary as you wish; you’ll find suggestions at the end of this recipe. Its beauty lies solely in the quality of your ingredients. Note that you will so often see proportions of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, but that can make a very acid, very vinegary vinaigrette. I use the proportions of a very dry martini, since you can always add more vinegar or lemon but you can’t take it out.

　　

Ingredients

for about 2/3 cup, serving 6 to 8

　　1/2 Tbs finely minced shallot or scallion

　　1/2 Tbs Dijon-type mustard

　　1/4 tsp salt

　　1/2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

　　1/2 Tbs wine vinegar

　　1/3 to 1/2 cup excellent olive oil, or other fine, fresh oil

　　Freshly ground pepper

　　

Step 1

Either shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar, or mix them individually as follows. Stir the shallots or scallions together with the mustard and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar, and when well blended start whisking in the oil by droplets to form a smooth emulsion. Beat in freshly ground pepper. Taste (dip a piece of the salad greens into the sauce) and correct seasoning with salt, pepper, and/or drops of lemon juice.

　　

VARIATIONS

Step 2

GARLIC. Purée the garlic (see page 34) and add it to or substitute it for the minced shallots. Or rub the salad bowl with a peeled clove of garlic. Or rub a peeled clove of garlic over dry-toasted French-bread rounds (see page 7), cut into pieces, and toss with the salad.

　　

Step 3

LEMON PEEL. For a pronounced lemon flavor, mince the zest (colored part of peel only) of a shiny fresh lemon and stir it into the sauce.

　　

Step 4

HERBS. Mince fresh herbs such as parsley, chives, chervil, tarragon, basil, and/or dill and whisk into the finished dressing.

　　

Step 5

SWEET AND SOUR DRESSING. Especially for duck, goose, pork, game. Beat a tablespoon of hoisin sauce or minced chutney into the vinaigrette, including, if you wish, droplets of dark sesame oil. (See page 18 on using this dressing in a duck salad.)

　　

Step 6

ROQUEFORT DRESSING. Crumble about 1/3 cup of Roquefort cheese and stir into the 2/3 cup of vinaigrette—or use whatever proportions you wish. A particular favorite of mine, served at the Café de Sevilla in Santa Barbara, is to halve or quarter romaine hearts, set them cut side up on serving dishes, and spoon over them the Roquefort dressing.

　　Julia's Kitchen WisdomKnopf