Salad Dressing Method
(Shared recipe submitted by Fred Fenlon.)
Fred writes: "This method of making salad dressing can be varied in many ways to give you several very different kinds of dressing. For example, leave out the raw egg and you have a vinaigrette, non-creamy, style. The basic ingredients that must always be used are: vinegar, water, oil, sugar or honey and salt and pepper. Use your own imagination and create your own special dressings. We list below several variations, using this recipe as the base. Most often, the additions are made in step five and increasing the blending time to about 15 seconds."
"These recipes are really healthful. If you look at the labels of some of the popular brand salad dressings in your super market you will find chemicals like potassium sorbate; calcium dicadum eata; phosphoric acid and/or xanthan gum. These chemicals will not exist in your homemade salad dressing. You can have a good healthful supper with a larger salad, dressed with your own, homemade salad dressing and a good fresh loaf of French or Italian bread. It's very satisfying!! One last point, you can double and triple the variety of the following recipes by simply using flavored vinegars, wine vinegars and flavored oils available in any good gourmet store. Good luck and healthful eating!!"
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1 or more cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 whole egg, room temperature (see notes below)
- 2/3 cup good vegetable oil
- 3 ounces blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment: One, 'Good Seasons' or similar salad dressing cruet/bottle, the large size. These can be purchased in any good supermarket. And a standard blender, with a cover in which the centerpiece of the cover is removable.
Method
- First add the vinegar to the cruet to the first line on the bottom of the bottle. This is about 1/4 cup. Now add the 2 tablespoons of water to the second line. Lastly, add the oil to the top line in the neck of the cruet. Rest the bottle for 2 or 3 minutes to allow the oil to rise completely. Use vegetable oil and not olive oil, which is difficult to work in this process, as it will not reach the creamy stage.
- Remove the center portion of the blender cover and place it on the blender. Turn the blender on to high speed. Add the whole egg and blend for 30 seconds. Still at high-speed start to drip the oil into the egg mixture from the cruet very, very slowly and S-L-O-W-L-Y!! The mixture will begin to look like mayonnaise. Keep adding the oil slowly until about 2/3's of the liquid is used up.
- Turn the blender down to medium speed. Now add the sugar, salt and pepper. Add 1/3 of the blue cheese. Now add the garlic (more or less to suit your taste). Now taste. Too tart? Add some more sugar. Note: if you would like a very subtle, non-sharp, garlic flavor take 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and blanch them in boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes and add them whole to the mixture at this point.
- Turn the blender back to high speed and pour in the remaining oil-vinegar mixture. Taste again. Adjust for salt and pepper.
- Shut the blender off and add the rest of the blue cheese. "Pulse" the blender twice.
- Pour the dressing into the Good Seasons bottle or into some other vessel. Allow it to rest for several hours before serving. Makes 1-1/2 cups.
Variations
French Vinaigrette: Omit the raw egg and blue cheese. Use half vegetable oil and half olive oil. In step 5 add 1 or 2 teaspoons of Dijon or other mustard and the juice of 1/2 a lemon.
Caesar Salad Dressing: Make the French Vinaigrette as above and add in step 5, 2 or 3 anchovies and blend 30 seconds. Use Romaine lettuce. In a large bowl coat lettuce with several tablespoons of dressing. Add some croutons and mix well with wooden spoons. Put on individual chilled plates and sprinkle with good fresh ground Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Basil Dressing: Omit the blue cheese. In step 5 add in 2 or 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil. For a further variation try it without the raw egg. Allow this dressing to rest for 24 hours to allow the basil flavor to intensify.
Russian Dressing: Omit the blue cheese. In step 5 add 1/2 a cup Ketchup; 2 or 3 drops of Tabasco sauce and a 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. Blend.
Creamy Italian: Omit the blue cheese. In step 5 add 2 teaspoons of dried oregano and a 1/4 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley (cilantro) chopped. Or make Italian vinaigrette by simply leaving out the raw egg.
Thousand Island Dressing: Omit the blue cheese. In step 5 add a 1/4 cup of chili sauce: 2 tablespoons each of chopped onion and green pepper; 1 table spoon of chopped pimiento and one chopped hard cooked egg (optional).
Cucumber Dressing: Omit the blue cheese. Peel half a cucumber, remove the seeds with a spoon and cut into large pieces. In step 5 add the cucumber to the blender and add a half teaspoon or so of dried dill weed. Blend 15 seconds.
Garden Dressing: Omit the blue cheese. Quarter 2 fresh tomatoes and add to the blender with 2 tablespoons each of coarsely chopped green pepper and onion; 1 tablespoon each of chopped cilantro and chopped fresh basil. Blend 15 seconds.
Poppy Seed Dressing: Omit the sugar, blue cheese, garlic and raw egg. In step 5 add 1/2 cup of honey; a teaspoon of dry mustard and 1-1/2 teaspoons of poppy seeds. Blend for 15 seconds or so. Taste. It should be on the sweet side. Add more or less honey to suit your taste.
Herbed Dressing: Omit the blue cheese and raw egg. In step 5 add several grinds of white (or black) pepper. Now add in, a 1/2 teaspoon each of dry mustard, tarragon, basil and chervil. Blend.
Notes: Some of the salad dressing recipes listed above use raw egg. If that is a concern, or if serving to the young, elderly, or those with health issues, use pasteurized egg or omit it entirely. If omitted and you want a creamier dressing, substitute a little mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt.
About Fred: I have really enjoyed reading Fred's recipes. They are well written and his instructions very thorough. Fred's email address is FredFJ@comcast.net.
Additional recipes submitted by Fred:
Disclaimer: This recipe was submitted by a contributor and has not been tested by TerisKitchen.com. Questions can be directed to the email address provided above. The email address may no longer be valid.
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