A vinaigrette is one of the five "mother sauces;" it is a simple sauce that is made by mixing an oil with a vinegar (or acid) to add various flavors to foods. Most commonly used as salad dressings and cooking solubles, vinaigrettes have been used throughout history not only for taste purposes, but also to influence scents.
Features
Three parts oil mixed with one part vinegar, as well as salt and pepper, emulsifies to make a traditional vinaigrette. This vinaigrette can be manipulated with different flavored vinegars, sugars and spices, depending on the desired taste and purpose for the sauce.
Vinaigrettes are customarily used as salad dressings, such as balsamic vinaigrette, one of the most commonly used blends. However, these simple sauces also add great flavor to vegetables, meats and fish, as both a marinade and a cooking soluble.
Types
The different ingredients and spices that are used to make a vinaigrette will influence the flavor it provides the food. You can use vinegars like sherry, balsamic, white wine, red wine, champagne and cider, just to name a few. Other ingredients like parsley, garlic, shallot, mustard, orange zest and clove will give you a wide-range of flavors. For example, you could use lemon juice, sugar and extra virgin olive oil to make a light vinaigrette, or rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, ginger and honey for an oriental vinaigrette. There are endless combinations of flavors.
History
Vinaigrettes have served multiple purposes throughout history, dating back to the early 1700s. The simple sauce has been a cooking aid for flavor enhancement and was also once used in Georgian times as a "cologne" so to speak. People would sniff scented vinaigrettes and vinegars to avoid smelling a bad odor.
The vinaigrette was originally derived from the French word for vinegar by a French culinarian, but also has many early English roots. Vinegars are made from fermenting liquids like wine, cider and beer and assist in the fermentation process of other ingredients (rice, fruits, nuts) that are readily available. Now the vinaigrette is known as one of the five "mother sauces" worldwide.
Benefits
The ingredients used to make a vinaigrette have been available for years. Making vinaigrettes, historically, was an early cooking staple. The added health benefits and variety of bold flavors have only increased the popularity of the simple sauce. Made from olive oil and any vinegar, vinaigrettes offer nutritional benefits in moderation.
Olive oil provides the body with healthy monounsaturated fats, which fights heart disease and has antioxidant benefits. Vinegars help regulate the body, controlling blood sugar level, increasing mineral absorption and replacing unhealthy substances (fats, sodium) with healthy ones.
Potential
Vinaigrettes are an essential part of cooking, providing additional flavor to foods to enhance taste. A vinaigrette may be a simple sauce mixed from acid and oil, but there are innumerable combinations available. They can vary from sweet or tangy, to more herbed or spicy; they can be creamy or oily and much more. The vinaigrette has proven to be a fundamental sauce that will continue to offer new tastes in the future.
Tags: simple sauce, commonly used, five mother, five mother sauces, have been, make vinaigrette, mother sauces
