Vinaigrette maison
This homemade vinaigrette is a classic, house-made basic dressing from French cuisine. The combination of wine vinegar, oil and mustard brings freshness and a light emulsion, while shallot and parsley make the vinaigrette rounded and aromatic. Perfect for green salads and as a base to vary further.
Serves: about 6–8
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 75 ml white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 225 ml neutral vegetable oil or mild olive oil
- 2 teaspoons coarse mustard
- ½–1 teaspoon fine caster sugar (optional)
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small shallot
- ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
- Peel the shallot and finely chop it as small as possible.
- Wash the parsley, shake it well dry and finely chop the leaves. Remove the thick stalks.
Method
- Make the base vinaigrette
Put the wine vinegar in a bowl and add a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Whisk the mustard into the vinegar with a whisk until smooth. - Whisk in the oil
Add the oil first drop by drop and then in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Continue until a cohesive, lightly emulsified vinaigrette forms. - Taste and adjust the seasoning
Taste the vinaigrette. If the vinegar is very sharp, whisk ½–1 teaspoon of sugar into the sauce to round off the acidity slightly. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed. - Add the aromatics
Stir the finely chopped shallot and the chopped parsley into the vinaigrette. Ideally, leave the vinaigrette to stand for about 10 minutes at room temperature so the flavours can develop well. Stir again before using. - Serve and store the vinaigrette
Serve the homemade vinaigrette over a green salad or use it as a base dressing for other salads. Taste just before serving and adjust if needed with salt, pepper or a splash of vinegar. If you want to store the vinaigrette, make only the base vinaigrette and leave out the shallot and parsley. Store the base vinaigrette in a clean, sealed bottle or jar in the fridge and preferably use within 3 days. Always shake or stir the vinaigrette well before use, and stir in the finely chopped shallot and chopped parsley only just before serving.
