Sweet & Salty Vinegarette?

[Richard Kilgore]

I am doing an orange, fennel and arugula salad that calls for a sweet and salty vinegarette. What would you use for the sweet? A little honey? Or would you do something different altogether?

[Jinmyo]

You could use honey. I wouldn't, as I don't care for sweetness. I would probably just reduce some orange juice.

[viejo majadero]

I make the same dish sans the fennel, supremed orange meat and arugula.

My vinaigrette consists of the juice of sweet oranges, quality olive oil, black pepper and salt that needs to reach a level where it balances the acidity of the juice. The key is balance.

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks. I'll try the reduced orange juice. Honey did not sound right to me either.

[davidscooking]

Another option is to use rice wine vinegar, which has the least acidic taste of any vinegar I know. Sometimes the absence of astringency effectively "sweetens" the whole, and if not, a small amount of sugar (add it in 1/4 teaspoon increments, tasting after each) will do the trick.

If the orange flavor is too cloying, dilute it with rice wine vinegar.

[Peter B Wolf]

Eastern European Stores (Polish, Hungarian, Russian etc.) often sell Raspberry and/or Sour Cherry Syrup in liter bottles ($3.75),

Great as sweetener in any Salad Dressing.