How to Make a Quick and Easy Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Making a good vinaigrette is one of the easiest things to do in the kitchen. I find the vinaigrette holds up longer if you use a blender. The ingredients I listed can be changed to your personal taste. In this article I will lay down the basic steps to making a vinaigrette, in this case a balsamic vinaigrette.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• ~ 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• Small Handful thinly sliced shallots + 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey - or more or less to your taste
• 1 cup olive oil/canola oil blend
• Salt and Pepper
• Blender
• Cutting Board + Sharp Knife

1. 

   The first step is to peel and dice your garlic. Take out a clove on your cutting board and flatten the edge of your knife on it and press down, being careful not to cut yourself. Mince about 1 tablespoon of garlic (about 3 cloves), and set it aside.

2. 

   Next, peel your shallots. You'll need about 1-2 medium sized shallots. Slice one in half and thin slice it long ways, until you have about 1 small handful of shallots. Get out your sauté or frying pan and heat it up. Add a small amount of oil to the pan so your items don't burn.

3. 

   This next step is called "Sweating." You basically are letting loose the juices of the shallots in garlic for enhanced flavor. This is specifically a French style of making a vinaigrette, whenever shallots and garlic are added. Add your sliced shallots to the pan, stir and flip them around a bit, until they are translucent Add the garlic shortly before you are done the shallots, because burnt garlic is disgusting. You want the garlic to be tender. Let the pan cool off a bit.

4. 

   Get your blender ready and measuring cup out. First, put in your shallots and garlic into the blender. Add about 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (whole grain works too). Next add your 1/3 cup balsamic. Now, add a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Now your salt will dissolve nicely into your vinegar. You'll hear a sizzling type sound.

5. 

   Now, add your honey to taste. When adding sweet things, such as honey or maple syrup, I generally add slightly less than what I added for vinegar. It seems to balance nicely.

6. Now, here is the hardest part, emulsification. Get out your olive oil blend. Blend the aforementioned ingredients for 10 seconds and continue blending. With your blender humming, add your oil blend in a thin stream, about the width of a pencil to your mixture. It helps to have a pourable measuring cup. If you don't have one, just pour the approximate amount out of the bottle. The mixture will thicken as you add the oil. If it stops mixing, then stop adding the oil. You may need to add a splash of vinegar.

7. Taste test. It should be light brown. You may need to add more salt and pepper or honey depending on the amounts used. Now is the time to play with it.

Tips & Warnings

• The most common ratio of oil to vinegar is 3:1, 3 parts oil, one part vinegar. In this case, 1 cup oil, 1/3 cup vinegar.
• You don't have to use a measuring cup, but it helps if you are just starting out. I have made hundreds of vinaigrettes at work, and still use a measuring cup, just for the sake of consistency.
• You don't have to use an oil blend, but blends tend to keep up nicely in the refrigerator.
• If you use pure olive oil, the dressing will solidify in the fridge.
• Be careful not to cut or burn yourself.

[mpodlesny]

on 12/30/2008 Sounds Great!