by Lisa Kerrigan
As the first flush of Spring appears in the air, we banish the hot vegetable platters from the table, throw the steak on the bar-b-que and reach into the fridge for the lettuce leaves. And that brings me to the subject of today – salad dressings, or how to dress up those lettuce leaves so that they taste more than what they are.
I have to confess. I like nothing better than a crisp leaf of cos or a peppery stalk of rocket, dripping with an aged balsamic, sea salt and a peppery olive oil, catching the drops that fall from my leaf with a crunchy slice of bread. In Italian they say “fare la scarpetta” and it is surely a decadent but luscious habit – scraping the last of the dressing from your plate with a hunk of bread.
Perhaps the easiest and quite the most delicious dressing for me is the balsamic one. You don’t have to use an aged balsamic but for me it is the best. The more aged the balsamic the sweeter and more syrupy it is. The younger blends are still quite adequate to make a good salad dressing but they tend to be sharper and a stronger presence. A good aged balsamic, you can almost drink. Indeed a good aged balsamic needs no addition in a salad. Simply splash the vinegar onto the leaves, a grind of pepper and a crunch of sea salt and there is your dressing.
Another product – ancient to the Italians but quite new to our table – is vin cotto. Literally this translates as “cooked wine” and in fact that is what it is – the cooked must of the grape. At present you can buy vin cotto in three flavours – lemon, raspberry and natural. To describe it is difficult – it goes far beyond a vinegar and falls short of a syrup but the consistency is rich, smooth and quite delightful. A stalk of asparagus or a crisp blanched snow pea splashed with a raspberry vin cotto is the perfect spring vegetable accompaniment or even entrée.
Should you wish to add an oil, make sure of the quality – it will make or break your dressing, believe me. A first press young oil will add a peppery zing to your palate – an older vintage a smoother more subtle taste. For added interest, try a walnut oil with a roast pear and rocket salad, or a hazelnut oil for a blanched vegetable salad. The basic rule when blending oil and vinegar is one third vinegar to two third oil. Remember this basic rule and then use your imagination to create the flavour. Add garlic, lemon juice, chopped chives, fresh tarragon , rosemary or thyme. Add a teaspoon of mustard, hot, dijon or grain; use a red wine vinegar; or a champagne vinegar for a lighter flavour.
Once again the world is your oyster so to speak. Throw out those pre-blended supermarket dressings that use inferior products as their base, and get blending. You won’t regret it.