Dressing Salads with a Gourmet Touch

July 2003

Dressing Salads with a Gourmet Touch

By Greg Stuhler

Salads were once thought of as a simple course that accompanied a meal, containing the basics — iceberg lettuce, perhaps tomato, cucumber, cabbage and carrot — topped with a Thousand Island, French, Italian or Green Goddess dressing. Today we’re seeing that, in addition to greater variety in ingredients and flavors, many salads often serve as the main course instead of just an accompaniment to the meal.

The basics can still be found. In fact, according to The Association for Dressings and Sauces, Atlanta, ranch-style dressing ranks as the best-selling dressing flavor in the United States, followed by Italian, creamy Italian, Thousand Island, French and Caesar. But demand is rising for dressings that go beyond these basics.

Creating unique gourmet salads and dressings is not so simple anymore. It takes a number of steps to develop a winning formulation, starting with a definition of the different types of salad dressings and then their ingredients. Next, consider the many varieties of greens, garnishes and vegetables, and the endless choices among proteins, beans and pastas that could go into the bowl. The final stage is developing a recipe with all the components to create a beautiful, flavorful salad and dressing that can range from simple to extraordinary.

Dressings’ styleMost kitchens work with two types of salad dressings; vinaigrettes (most are not thickened) and pourable (most are thickened, emulsified and sometimes mayonnaise-based).

A vinaigrette (a temporary emulsion) in its simplest form combines oil and vinegar in a 3:1 ratio, with salt and pepper for seasoning. Vinaigrettes typically dress salad greens, vegetables, proteins and other starch-based salads, such as rice, potato and pasta salads. Formulators can create more complex variations by adding herbs, seasonings, vegetable or fruit purees, mustards, shallots and garlic.

A simple pourable dressing consists of a creamy emulsion of oil, egg yolks or whole eggs, vinegar, seasonings, salt, pepper and flavorings. These dressings might also contain various mustards, herbs, sour cream, yogurt, vegetable or fruit purees and pieces, and many other extras.

Developers can also make pourable dressings by starting with mayonnaise as a base and then compounding in other ingredients to produce a creamy emulsified dressing. A spoonable dressing is another thicker, mayonnaise-based product for various compound salads and dipping-style sauces.

As with many culinary creations, salad dressings often tell a story about how they were created. For example, Martha Barnette’s “Ladyfingers & Nun’s Tummies: A Lighthearted Look at How Foods Got Their Names,” (1997, Times Books) tells the story of long-time favorite Green Goddess dressing. The chef at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel (currently the Sheraton Palace) created the recipe for actor George Arliss, who was appearing in a play called “The Green Goddess” during the 1920s. This classic combines mayonnaise, tarragon vinegar, anchovies, tarragon, parsley, chives, scallions and garlic, creating a topping that complements salads as well as seafood dishes.

Crafting a conceptThe role of a dressing and a vinaigrette is to lightly coat, season and bring together all the salad’s flavors and to accent each of them. This makes ingredient selection critical.

When choosing ingredients for dressings and vinaigrettes, start with good-quality oil and vinegar, and the freshest of minor ingredients. Just as in any type of cooking, starting with high-quality ingredients yields well-balanced and good-tasting final products. If there is any doubt in your mind of the age of the oil or flavor (i.e. rancidity), purchase new oil. Minor ingredients past their peak may add off-flavors, or bitter or sour tastes to the final product. Best practice is to buy ingredients in small amounts and rotate inventory to produce a dressing with high-quality taste.

When developing a dressing or vinaigrette for a specific type of salad, begin with the standard oil-to-vinegar ratio to provide a balance of acidity and oil. Take in to account your flavor preferences and add a bit of innovation and creativity to finish with a product that has the correct balance without an oily mouthfeel, a too-sharp acidic bite or any bitter aftertaste.

Although the 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar is the general rule when making dressings, this will vary, depending on the acidity and strength of the vinegar or citrus juice used. Taste the product to be sure that it has the correct balance. Depending on the vinegar’s strength, you may adjust the oil-to-vinegar ratio to 4:1 to achieve the desired balance. Hence, a recipe would require less vinegar if it used 60-grain vinegar vs. 40-grain vinegar. Another technique that can cut acidity is to add water or chicken stock to balance the recipe, since adding more oil would make the dressing too oily.

Oil acumenOil is one of the key ingredients for making high-quality dressings and vinaigrettes.

When choosing oil for gourmet dressings, use first pressings of olive oil or nut oils, as they impart delicate flavors to the finished product. Blending certain oils (olive and nut oils) with other, more-neutral oils (soybean and canola oils) might be necessary to balance the flavor so that the oil is not too intense for the salad. Here are a few oils for dressings and vinaigrettes.

Olive oil. This is the preferred oil for many vinaigrettes, and its range of flavors makes it a kitchen staple. The grades are based on the amount of acid in each type: extra-virgin (less than 1% acidity), superfine (1.01% to 1.50%), fine (1.51% to 3.00%), virgin (1.0% to 3.3%) and pure (no more than 3.3%). A lower acidity yields a more-flavorful and mellower oil.

Walnut oil. This rich, nutty, full-flavored oil can stand on its own or be blended with other oils to enhance the most delicate or tart greens. Walnut oil does turn rancid quickly due to a high level of unsaturated fatty acids, so buy it in small amounts and keep it refrigerated.

Hazelnut oil. This very aromatic oil lends itself well to combinations with fruit vinegars and other mellow-flavored vinegars. Since hazelnut oil spoils quickly, refrigeration is recommended to extend shelf life.

Sesame oil. The light variety (Middle Eastern) is pressed from raw white sesame seeds and has a very mild, nutty taste. The Oriental variety is made from toasted sesame seeds, and has a dark-brown color and very assertive toasted-sesame flavor. This oil is used in small amounts and may be blended with more-neutral-flavored oils.

Canola oil. This bland, multipurpose oil has a golden color and a low saturated-fat content.

Peanut oil. A neutral oil that is used to prepare mayonnaise, cold-pressed varieties will have a slightly nutty flavor.

Corn oil. This rather bland oil is low in saturated fat.

Soybean oil. The most-consumed oil in the United States, soybean oil’s neutral flavor and aroma make it very versatile. This oil blends well with more-flavorful oils and will not interfere with other flavors in the dressing.

Infused oils. When making infused oils, be careful with the oil preparation and the type of ingredients used. Certain ingredients contain excess water, which can support bacterial growth in the oil.

Adding fresh herbs, garlic, citrus peel and dried peppers to the oil, and storing it refrigerated for up to one week can avoid microbial growth in the oil. Preserving the ingredients with a salt or vinegar solution also helps prevent bacteria growth. Infused oils are available in many specialty stores and markets.

The value of vinegarJust as choosing a good-quality oil is essential, the same holds true with vinegar. Selecting the perfect vinegar will accent a salad and add that bit of tart, pungent flavor that brings balance to a dressing or vinaigrette.

The word vinegar comes from the French words vin aigre, which translates as “sour wine.” Bacterial fermentation turns the alcohol to acetic acid, which is measured in grains (10 grains equals 1% acetic acid). Many vinegars are made from naturally fermented wines or those that have turned sour. The highest-quality vinegars are made in wooden casks formerly used to make wines. Many of these vinegars are aged several years in cool, dark cellars and bottled only after the vinegar has mellowed. Other vinegars can be made from ingredients such as cider, rice and malt.

Aceto balsamico. This balsamic vinegar, made in the Modena region of Italy, starts with a sweet wine made from the white Trebbiano grape. It is aged in barrels so that it yields intense aromatics, a reddish-brown color, and a flavor that is quite acidic, yet finishes sweet.

Sherry vinegar. Processors in Spain — where the finest sherry is made — age this fortified wine to produce a full-bodied, rich and smooth-tasting sherry vinegar.

Red-wine vinegar. Any type of red wine, such as Burgundy, merlot, zinfandel and red table wine, can be used to make red-wine vinegar. Red-wine vinegar is the sharpest and most assertive of all vinegars, and is full-bodied with a touch of sweetness.

White-wine vinegar. This vinegar can use any varietal of white wine (chardonnay, white zinfandel, Riesling and sauvignon blanc). These vinegars tend to be sweeter, lighter and smoother than their red-wine cousins.

Champagne vinegar. This lighter, sweeter vinegar also has a touch of tartness.

Cider vinegar. Made from apples that lend a slightly fruity flavor, this vinegar also has a strong, acidic bite.

Malt vinegar. Made from malted barley, it possesses a golden color with a clean and a slightly fruity aroma.

Rice-wine vinegar. This works well in Asian-style dressings, and its flavor blends nicely with sesame oil. The Japanese variety is mellower and smoother than the Chinese, which is more assertive and sharp.

Herb, fruit and flavored vinegars are readily available in gourmet markets and specialty stores. White-wine vinegar can contain ingredients such as shallots, garlic, fennel, dill, sage, chive and tarragon. Red-wine combinations could include shallots, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and rosemary.

Minoring in major tasteOnce a designer selects the oil and vinegar, it is time to look at the minor ingredients in salad dressings: salt, freshly ground peppercorns, spices, fresh herbs, onions, shallots, garlic, honey, mustards, soy sauce, cheeses, olives, and vegetable or fruit purees. Be sure these items have the same high quality as the oils and vinegar.

Balsamic vinegar in an Italian vinaigrette, matched with fresh herbs and finished with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balances the pungent sweetness of the vinegar with the herbs’ aromatics and the cheese’s aged, rich, sharp flavor. Orange-juice concentrate with honey, soy sauce, rice-wine vinegar, garlic and scallions combines well for an Asian twist.

Can manufactured vinaigrettes and dressings use fresh ingredients? Yes, but it can shorten the shelf life of the end product. Here are some good substitutes: individually quick-frozen herbs and vegetables, frozen-fruit and -vegetable purees, acidified vegetables and herbs. The latter already contain vinegar.

Lettuces, greens and garnishesWhen people think of salad, they usually think of a plate mounded with iceberg lettuce. But a variety of less-mundane, green, leafy vegetables pair well with gourmet dressings — typically lettuce or other greens. These include:

Lettuces. While most everyone is familiar with iceberg (a variety of crisphead lettuce), numerous other varieties exist, including green and red leaf, oak leaf, Lolla Rossa, romaine, red romaine, Bibb, Boston, and tango.

Mild and spicy greens. These greens, such as amaranth, arugula, baby red mustard, cress (watercress is a popular type), mâche (corn salad), mizuna and tat soi, can provide flavor and texture to salads.

Chicory. A member of the same botanical family as endive, these greens have curly, bitter-tasting leaves and include frisée and radicchio.

Endive. Closely related to — and often confused with — chicory, there are three main varieties; Belgian endive, curly endive and escarole.

Sturdy greens. Spinach, baby bok choy, beet greens, collards, green chard, kale, mustard greens, red chard, sorrel and turnip greens all fall within this grouping.

Mesclun. This mixture of baby lettuces and greens is sold at markets. The actual mixture depends on availability and contains greens that range from mild to spicy to bitter.

Making a matchJust greens are rarely enough. Other favorite items that could be added to salads are tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, fresh herbs, fresh-crisp or roasted vegetables, fresh fruits, cheeses, olives, grilled or smoked meats, poultry or seafood.

When matching a dressing to a salad, be sure that the dressing complements each of the salad ingredients. Are the lettuce and greens bitter, spicy or mild in flavor, or are they a mixture? Is the protein grilled, smoked, roasted or poached? Today, one can have a manufacturer put together a mix of mesclun greens, or developers can select and mix the greens themselves, balancing the amount of bitter, spicy, buttery or sweet and mild greens. For a simple dinner salad, accent a balanced mixture of greens with a simple herb vinaigrette or a creamy-style dressing. Or pair arugula (with its pungent, peppery and bitter flavor) with seared sea scallops, nap it with lemon vinaigrette made with a touch of sugar — added for sweetness — and garnish with diced tomatoes and chervil.

Also keep in mind textures, accenting flavors of garnishes and colors of your salad. For a simple lettuce salad, use fresh vegetables (e.g. green beans, peppers and cucumbers) to add color and crisp texture. In a blue-cheese salad, the combination of the crisp greens with the creaminess of the blue cheese and the crunch of toasted walnuts works like magic.

When developing dressings and vinaigrettes, add a new twist to a classic or simply start testing with new ideas of flavor combinations. Either way results in a never-ending array of delicious and attractive salad and dressing ideas to work with. Use good-quality raw materials, bring balanced flavors to complete the salad and dressing, and someday someone may tell a story about an award-winning flavorful dressing or vinaigrette that you’ve created.

Back to top

3400 Dundee Rd. Suite #100Northbrook, IL 60062Phone: 847-559-0385Fax: 847-559-0389E-Mail: [email protected]Website: www.foodproductdesign.com