Beyond the use of different oils and vinegars, there are countless ways to create distinctive and delicious salad dressings. As more flavorings and ingredients take center stage, the dressing loses the strict character of an oil-and-vinegar-based vinaigrette. These dressings, featuring anything from pureed vegetables to shredded cheese to chopped nuts, add textural interest as well as flavor to a salad. Bear in mind that more is not always better, and sometimes the best creations are sublimely simple. It is best to begin with a flavor principle, or theme, and stick with it. Also, be sure to coordinate the consistency of the dressing with the style of the salad. Sturdy vegetables, meat, and poultry can stand up to a thicker dressing, while delicate tender greens require something lighter. As a general rule, seasonings and finely chopped or pureed ingredients are added to the acid at the start, and then the oil is mixed in. Liquid additions, including stock, juice, cream, and buttermilk, are generally added after the oil and often result in a slightly thinner dressing. Here is a list of some of our favorite additions:
Freshly Ground Black Pepper: For many, a tossed salad is not complete without a few turns of a pepper grinder.
Herbs: Finely chopped or pureed. Dressings made with hearty herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, and thyme, should be allowed to sit for several hours for the flavors to infuse.
Assertive Ingredients: Chopped olives, pickles, anchovies, capers, mustard, tapenade, pesto, relish, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Use these with care in dressings made with flavorful oils, such as extra-virgin olive oil or nut oils, because their flavors may clash. Too many assertive flavors in one dressing will cancel each other out. Bear in mind that you may want to cut back on salt and vinegar when you add salty, briny ingredients.
Savory Flavors: Some of the most delectable salad dressings are made with the savory pan drippings from a roast, a dash of soy sauce, a bit of reduced meat or poultry glaze, or even a few tablespoons of fresh, flavorful stock. Since a well-made stock contains no fat, substituting stock for three-quarters of the oil is a delicious way to make a reduced-fat dressing. See Reduced-Fat Vinaigrette.
Wine and Spirits: A splash of good-quality red or white wine or spirits, such as port, whiskey, or brandy, adds an exciting dimension to a basic vinaigrette.
Fruit or Vegetable Purees and Juices: Purees add flavor, body, and visual appeal to dressings. Be sure to squeeze any excess water from the puree before adding it to the vinegar. Vegetable and fruit juices are also used but, like stock, may result in a thinner dressing.
Cheese: Soft and crumbly cheeses can be blended into the vinegar. Hard cheese should be grated first.
Sweeteners: Honey, pure maple syrup, pomegranate juice, molasses. A touch of sweet can nicely balance some salads, but donΓÇÖt overdo it. The days of candy-sweet salads are, we hope, gone forever.
