I'm on a Walnut Vinaigrette binge, inspired by my brother-in-law, Travis. He left a bottle of walnut oil behind at our summer cottage. When I saw the bottle, I knew what I had to make. Now I'm hooked - it has replaced balsamic vinaigrette as my go-to salad dressing.
I think of this as a "French" vinaigrette. It's a variation on a dressing Susan Hermann Loomis taught me in her cooking class in Paris*. I didn't realize quite how much of a variation until I went back to her original recipe. The original wasn't a walnut dressing…it was a hazelnut dressing. And it used red wine vinegar and thinly sliced shallots, not sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard. Oops. Sorry, Susan. Oh, well, my walnut version is quite good anyhow…
*Did I mention that I took cooking classes in France? No? I'm going to go back there someday…
Recipe: Walnut Vinaigrette
Inspired by: Susan Herrmann Loomis Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin
Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons (scant ¼ cup) walnut oil
*For an overview of making vinaigrettes, see Vinaigrette Basic Technique
Directions: Easy Way
1. Whisk to blend: Whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl until creamy.
OR:
Directions: With Finesse
1. Dissolve the salt: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl until the salt dissolves, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the oil slowly: Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until creamy and emulsified.
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Notes:
*This is enough dressing for two heads of green leaf lettuce, a 6 ounce bag of bag salad, or about 6 cups of mesclun mix.
*It also makes a great topping for cooked vegetables; asparagus and green beans in particular.
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Vinaigrette Basic Technique
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Inspired by:
Susan Herrmann Loomis Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin
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