Too many instances I’ve ordered a salad at a restaurant and obtained a plate of iceberg lettuce topped with gloppy, super-salty dressing. I didn’t understand simply how subpar this typical first course was till I took a visit to Paris, the place the dressing was all the time gentle, completely drizzled, and by no means overpowered the greens.
At one Parisian restaurant, my mom and I attempted to ask a rail-like French restaurateur what was in her dressing. She checked out us like we had scratched the floor of the forbidden and raised a thin finger to her lips. “It’s a secret, Madame.”
Being a artful journalist, I used to be decided to search out out what makes these easy French salads so freaking scrumptious. So after I returned to New York, I emailed Chez Jean, a Michelin-starred restaurant within the ninth arrondissement. Their chef de delicacies, Attilio Marrazzo, was very happy to share his guidelines and his recipe.
Rule #1: All the time respect the proportions.
Making French dressing is a balancing act. It’s good to add simply sufficient acidity to chop by the fats. Preserve the oil and vinegar to a 3 to 1 ratio, respectively.
Rule #2: Use top quality components.
That is particularly essential when making one thing so simple as French dressing with three components since you’ll have the ability to clearly style every element.
Rule #3: Add salt early.
Don’t wait till the tip to season your French dressing. It’s good to add the salt to the vinegar and whisk it so it’ll dissolve reasonably than sink to the underside of the bowl. Salt balances acidity, so add kosher or sea salt and regularly style till the vinegar’s chunk lessens.
Rule #4: Don’t overbeat.
Olive oil will begin to style bitter if you happen to overbeat it. Chef Attilio makes use of grapeseed oil, which received’t flip acrid on you, however if you happen to don’t have high-quality grapeseed oil, a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil will do the trick.
Chez Jean’s Basic French dressing
What you’ll want:
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly floor white pepper
6 Tbsp grapeseed oil (or good high quality extra-virgin olive oil)
Methods to make it:
1. Combine the vinegars with the salt and pepper and whisk till salt dissolves. Slowly whisk in oil till effectively mixed.
2. Fill a bowl with a fragile inexperienced akin to arugula. Step by step drizzle the dressing alongside the facet of the bowl reasonably than on the leaves to stop overdressing. Toss, style, and season. Makes about ½ cup.
Need greater than a traditional French dressing? Listed below are 5 methods to construct off this recipe:
Illustration credit score to Carolyn Lo
