Made friends with salad lately? We're romping into salad season friends & now's the time to romaine calm, turn over a crisp new leaf (geddit) & lettuce give you the OG salad dressing (aka a gorj vinaigrette) that will have you tossing together leafy deliciousness at the drop of a tomato allllll summer long with a nonchalant "oh this old thang" kinda energy.
Now the key element? This is open for discussion but these swines firmly believe it alllll comes down to your diced shallot which gives texture & a depth of flavour to your dressing. You want it fine but not too fine, but also definitely not too big either so there isn't giant chunks of onion flavour destroying your salad goddess energy or bestowing the gift of onion breath upon your eaters. We asked the Ginger Pig (who's exceptionally handy with a blade) to give us a lil knife skills demo that you can apply to any recipe that calls for finely diced shallot (fresh oysters anyone?) and also whipped up our classic vinaigrette recipe (ingredients & method below) for you to lock down in time for salad season.
Ingredients
- 1 large shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely diced
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
Method
- Combine: In a large bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together vigorously for 1 minute or until fully emulsified. (Or alternately, vigorously shake the ingredients together in sealed jar until fully emulsified.)
- Serve: Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Some other ideas we love
- Add fresh herbs: Finely-chopped fresh basil, chives, dill, mint, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, or even thyme would all be delicious & can take it in different directions - dill for a warm potato salad, thyme for freshly roasted veg & basil for a summer tomato version.
- Add some oomph: Add finely diced fresh red chilli or chilli flakes for warmth and a kick - always taste as you add with fresh chilli as the heat levels can vary.
- Head south of the border: With finely diced jalapeño, lime instead of lemon, & fresh coriander - amazing over a fresh sweet corn salsa.
- Add parmesan: Add 1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan to the dressing or sprinkle over dressed leaves.
- Use vinegar: Substitute sherry or white wine vinegar for the red wine vinegar.
- Use orange: Add in freshly squeezed orange juice for a sweet kick - delightful with thinly shaved fennel fronds.
- Seafood dressing/dipping sauce: Remove the mustard & garlic, sub in red wine vinegar for the lemon juice, add a pinch of sugar to taste and drizzle over fresh oysters or dip cooked prawns into as you eat.
- Delicious warm: Dress freshly boiled potatoes, while still steaming, with the dressing and gently toss - will soak up all the flavours and then add in extra fresh herbs & seasoning for the wow factor.
Need more delicious dressings in your life? There's an oldie but a goodie for a fresh salsa verde also on the blog here.