Fresh "clean" vinaigrette recipe

[lmarshal1]

Traveling in Germany in April, we ate in three hotels, all of which served fresh green salads with nearly identical vinaigrette dressings that were nearly clear, not oily at all, with bits of herbs, maybe slightly sweet even, just delicious.  We thought the vinegar was probably a rice/wine vinegar and the oil very fresh and light.  Any ideas for recipes?

[Smithy]

I had a wonderful salad dressing in May that I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to replicate.  It was fresh and green, not oily.  The chef said it was along the lines of 1 bunch of cilantro, finely blended with the juice of 2 limes and their zest and a bit of fresh jalapeno; then just a touch of olive oil blended to taste.  He did not mention salt.  He did say to be very careful to get only the zest and none of the pith, because it will make the dressing bitter.  I've tried it as as told me, then tried variants (less zest, less juice, a mix of acids, entire cilantro bunch vs. leaves only, and so on).  So far none of it has come close to what I had. Maybe I'm beating the olive oil too much and breaking it down to make that bitter flavor, and a different oil or less blending would be better.

 

The idea of finely chopping a bunch of green herbs (parsley, as an alternative - and what else?) and blending them with a citrus acid appeals to me immensely, but I haven't had any success worth posting about.  Maybe someone else has good recommendations.

[Lisa Shock]

3 hours ago, lmarshal1 said:

Traveling in Germany in April, we ate in three hotels, all of which served fresh green salads with nearly identical vinaigrette dressings that were nearly clear, not oily at all, with bits of herbs, maybe slightly sweet even, just delicious.  We thought the vinegar was probably a rice/wine vinegar and the oil very fresh and light.  Any ideas for recipes?

 

Grapeseed oil is very light and clear, the clearest in color that I can think of right now.

[Lisa Shock]

4 minutes ago, Smithy said:

I had a wonderful salad dressing in May that I've been trying (unsuccessfully) to replicate.  It was fresh and green, not oily.  The chef said it was along the lines of 1 bunch of cilantro, finely blended with the juice of 2 limes and their zest and a bit of fresh jalapeno; then just a touch of olive oil blended to taste.  He did not mention salt.  He did say to be very careful to get only the zest and none of the pith, because it will make the dressing bitter.  I've tried it as as told me, then tried variants (less zest, less juice, a mix of acids, entire cilantro bunch vs. leaves only, and so on).  So far none of it has come close to what I had. Maybe I'm beating the olive oil too much and breaking it down to make that bitter flavor, and a different oil or less blending would be better.

 

The idea of finely chopping a bunch of green herbs (parsley, as an alternative - and what else?) and blending them with a citrus acid appeals to me immensely, but I haven't had any success worth posting about.  Maybe someone else has good recommendations.

 

I'd add salt, it probably wasn't mentioned because it's everywhere, like air, in the commercial kitchen.

 

I think the olive oil just naturally has that bitter flavor, the better ones moreso -if you're referring to the scratchy, back of the throat sensation, it's related to Oleocanthal content, an anti inflammatory that acts a lot like ibuprophen. fact is, unless you're dining in a VERY high end restaurant, the olive oil most restaurants use is pretty low-end, cheap, light, and probably a blend. I'd use a 'light' olive oil, or a canola/olive blend and see how that goes. Personally, to help the emulsion, I'd add a pinch of dry mustard and, for flavor, I'd toss a chunk of white onion into the blender as well.

[liuzhou]

I tend to use Chinese white rice vinegar in vinaigrettes, although I can get French and Italian wine vinegars easily. There is something lighter about the rice vinegar. Less sharp. I do also usually use a cheapish olive oil. It is all I can find. And some mustard.

[Beebs]

Sometimes I'll put a pinch of sugar in wine vinaigrettes, especially if doesn't have much else in it.  Takes out some of the edge.

[Lisa Shock]

I have also had a nice white balsamic, too. That really didn't need any oil at all, just a few herbs for color and added flavor.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've tried white balsamic but it did not do anything for me at all.

 

My idea of vinaigrette is red balsamic and fruity extra virgin olive oil poured over something, such as tonight's fagioli e tonno.  Vinaigrette with no mixing.  I have a rotor-stator homogenizer and xanthan gum, and if I chose I suppose I could make a vinaigrette stable till the next millennium.  But that is not what I like.

 

[huiray]

I always add sugar in some form to my vinaigrettes. Sometimes even hon-mirin.  To me, without the sugar the vinaigrette is unbalanced. 

[huiray]

A "white balsamic" that I like a lot is this one. 

[AlaMoi]

as you discovered, the thick creamy style salad dressings are uncommon in Germany.  as is the US style "mixed salad," actually - much more into the "tossed greens" kind of things altho shredded root vegetables are a common additive.

 

and, there is more than one company that makes vinegar - seriously more diverse than Heniz & company....

 

here's a source

http://www.germandeli.com/Groceries/All-Oils-Vinegars

demonstrates the rather wide variety marketed.

 

[pufin3]

We had a deliciou green salad in Diez once.

The chef gave men the recipe for the salad dressing in return for me sending him a cowboy hat later.

He stressed the to oil/acid ratio was most important:

3 T walnut oil

1 T rice wine vinegar

1/2 t honey

1/4 t fine mustard

1/2 T fine chopped watercress

Pinch of flaked salt

He did not shake the dressing to emulsify it.

A light stir to dissolve the honey.

 He said the salad dressing ingredients should be able to be tasted separately.

When watercress isn't in season I have used other fine chopped light tasting herbs.

 

 

Edited July 21, 2016 by pufin3 (log)

[heidih]

The German light dressing that I grew up with also had more sugar and water with a light oil and  salt and sometimes  a breath of vinegar (plain white). The lettuces we favored were tender ones like redleaf.

[lmarshal1]

Thanks for all your suggestions.  I always keep a canola/olive oil blend and Chinese rice vinegar on hand.  I'll start there with a pinch of sugar and a few herbs and see what happens.  One of the German salads had dressing that was faintly yellow, so perhaps mustard was part of the recipe.

 

A couple of you mentioned watercress.  In several of the German hotel salads we had, what they called "garden cress" was an ingredient.  Very tasty, slightly peppery.  I haven't been able to find any where I shop, but I did find it in Germany in a shop.  Tiny leaves.  I may have to grow my own.  It was a tasty addition. 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@lmarshal1,

 

I find bunches of watercress cheap at my S-Mart (Korean owned, pan-Asian grocer). If you have an Asian grocery store near you, I'd check there for it. It has that peppery taste you describe.

[pastrygirl]

lemon juice instead of vinegar is fresh and bright 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

A market near here...but not quite near enough...sells live watercress in hydroponic medium.  Or at least what I think is hydroponic medium.  The cress keeps for a good while in the refrigerator.

[Anna N]

50 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

A market near here...but not quite near enough...sells live watercress in hydroponic medium.  Or at least what I think is hydroponic medium.  The cress keeps for a good while in the refrigerator.

Love to get hold of some of that!  Watercress is so damn fragile.