Generality
There Vinaigrette it is a condiment that comes in the form of an incomplete emulsion between oil and vinegar.
As for the vinegar, however, what interests the traditional recipe is white wine, but there are other variations, with that of cider, apples, rice, balsamic, etc.
The vinaigrette is often used to enrich the recipes of some cold first courses, meats, fish products, side dishes (the best known are: artichokes, asparagus and leeks), but also as a cold sauce to be added to taste.
Nutritional Characteristics
The vinaigrette is a lighter condiment than pure vegetable oil, as it has a water-soluble (almost non-calorie) component based on vinegar. The table below shows the nutritional values of a classic vinaigrette, made up of ¼ white wine vinegar and from ¾ of extra virgin olive oil.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The vinaigrette has an energetic prevalence due to lipids which, coming from vegetable oils, are mainly of the unsaturated type; it goes without saying that the ratio between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, as well as the quantity of omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9, essentially depends on the type of oil used. In this case, having chosen the extra virgin olive oil, the monounsaturated fatty acids are the dominant ones and the omega 9 the most present.
The saline profile is not relevant, while good quantities of equivalent retinol (provit. A) and tocopherols (vitamin E) are observed.
Recipe and Variations
The vinaigrette is made up of 3 parts of oil and 1 part of vinegar, all beaten to form an "emulsion; obviously, as much as you can shake, in the absence of emulsifying additives (such as lecithin) this emulsion (only apparent) is incomplete and reversible.
The vinaigrette is often flavored (in variable quantities depending on the final function of the seasoning) with fine salt and ground black pepper. Some vinaigrettes are flavored with other ingredients, to give them a typical taste and aroma; some examples are: garlic, shallot, mustard sauce (which performs an "important emulsifying function), rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, sage, etc. It is important to emphasize that the vinaigrette has a very intense gustatory impact, which is why it is always necessary to weigh their use according to the recipe. The flavored ones are very suitable for dressing vegetables, tubers, cereals and legumes; on the contrary, the simple and delicate ones are used for meats and products of the raw peaches or with a delicate organoleptic structure.
A particular vinaigrette, typical of northern France and used to dress the Belgian endive salad, is based on walnut oil and cider vinegar.
In the United States of America, on the other hand, there are many types of vinaigrette. Each of these has a different aroma and taste; some examples are: lemon zest, truffle, raspberries, egg white, sugar, garlic and cherries.
In Southeast Asia, vinaigrettes with rice oil and white wine vinegar are particularly popular, used as a base for more complex sauces based on nuts, herbs, chilli and lime juice.
In addition to the choice of oil, even that of the aqueous component shows a certain importance in the structuring of the final body. Some rather interesting variants use vegetable juices instead of vinegar, resembling much more to a citronette (still others, require the use of alcohol Distillates) Some examples are: cranberry juice, lemon juice or alcohol, cherry juice, etc.
It is important to underline that the balsamic vinaigrette does NOT include 1 whole part out of 4 of balsamic vinegar, but a small part.
In Russian cuisine, vinaigrette does not only mean the condiment, but also a particular type of salad side dish that exclusively involves the use of this sauce.
Citronette Sauce and Vinaigrette Sauce - Salad Dressings
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Etymology
The term vinaigrette represents the diminutive of the French noun "vinaigre", which means vinegar (in British English "sour wine", or "sour wine"). In the 9th century A.D. the vinaigrette was known as "French dressing".
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