From Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home

I’ve gone back-and-forth about sharing this particular recipe with all of you—not because I don’t believe it’s one everyone should know about, but because it’s for salad dressing… and somehow that just seemed too minor to warrant its own posting. Except I know from experience how valuable the right salad dressing recipe can be. One or two good ones are all you need for a lifetime of cooking, and once you find the formula that suits you, it’s a little like inheriting your grandmother’s cast-iron skillet; you guard it with your life and give it lots of love. At least that’s how I feel about this recipe, one I’ve come to view as my secret meal-planning weapon, since no matter how uncertain I may be about the success of whatever else I’m cooking, I always know the salad will be a hit. And by “hit,” I don’t just mean devoured, but singled out (this as recently as last night, when completely unprompted and after having eaten it for years, Alfredo announced, “God, your salad dressing is good!”). Little surprise then that the recipe request I get most often from those seated around our table is for my salad dressing. So here it is: a minor player, perhaps, but a critical one in the planning of any meal.

But don’t just take my word for it—Jacques Pepin himself has given the recipe his seal of approval, presenting it as his own go-to vinaigrette in Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home (one of my all-time favorite cookbooks). And, like any salad dressing recipe, the formula is there for you to experiment with as you like, dialing up or down the acidity and swapping out vinegars and oils with different flavor profiles. (Pepin cautions, however, that if you’re adding an oil or vinegar with a particularly strong flavor, like balsamic vinegar, you’ll want to use only a small amount, mixing it with the standard vinegar or oil listed in the recipe so as to avoid overpowering the greens). That said, in my many years of making this dressing I’ve never found any reason to alter it, unless I suddenly discovered I’d run out of red wine vinegar and was forced to use one of the alternatives lurking in the cabinet. In other words, from my perspective it’s the perfect combination of flavors, just as is.

One reason for that is the presence of two tablespoons of Dijon mustard, which gives the vinaigrette the ideal acidic kick (you can also use white-wine vinegar, though I generally go for the red-wine variety). And, of course, it’s simple (this is salad dressing, after all), requiring nothing more than placing the above two ingredients in a re-sealable glass jar along with 2 teaspoons of chopped garlic, a ½ teaspoon salt, a ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and a cup of olive oil, giving the mixture a vigorous shake, and presto: the answer to your salad dressing dreams. And for those of you made anxious by the presence of garlic here, have no fear. The tang of the various other ingredients present in the mixture has a way of mellowing the sharp (and to some, unpleasant) quality of the garlic—you can taste it, but it’s subtle. Mellow, too.

The other thing worth mentioning about this vinaigrette is that its big flavor makes it the ideal accompaniment for meat or other hearty dishes. As such, it’s one I tend to use frequently in cold weather months, as opposed to the warmer ones when I typically want something lighter. And the recipe produces about 1½ cups of dressing, which in my experience is enough to get me through at least three big salads. (The dressing will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks, though if you plan to store it that long consider adding the garlic as you go, since it can lose some of its zip and turn bitter over time.) All of which is good news for the holiday season, as well as for the weeks following, when so many of us will be atoning for our culinary sins with a salad-only diet. Thanks to this dressing, that’s something you can look forward to.

Ingredients:
—2 tsp chopped garlic (shallot can be substituted)
—2 tbs Dijon-style mustard
—1/2 tsp salt
—1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
—1/4 cup red- or white-wine vinegar
—1 cup extra-virgin olive oil or peanut oil, or a mixture of the two

Special equipment:
—A 12-ounce glass jar with a screw-top lid

Note #1: Other oils or vinegars can be substituted, though if you’re using a powerfully flvored one like balsamic vinegar, it’s recommended to mix a small amount with the standard vinegar or oil option listed in the recipe.

Note #2: The vinegar will keep in the fridge for up to two-weeks, though if you’re planning to store it that long, it’s best to add the garlic (or shallot, if using) as you go, as both can lose their flavor and turn bitter over time.

Directions:
—Put all of the ingredients in the jar, screw on the lid, and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more oil or vinegar, as you like.
—Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks, and shake to blend before using.

Makes about 1½ cups

The post 12/05/13 • MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.

From the Oct., 2005 Gourmet (click here to view the recipe)

I’ve probably walked through the Union Square farmer’s market a thousand times by this point in my life. That’s not all that surprising; I’ve lived in the vicinity for most of the past 23 years. What is surprising, though, is that it was only last spring that I actually slowed down enough to really take in what was piled on the tables around me — a change due to no other reason than that I had a camera pressed to my face (I was on a quest to capture some images for the Dorie Greenspan story that ran here in early July). You see like many New Yorkers, I tend to find myself in the midst of the farmer’s market while en route to somewhere else — the subway, most often, or an appointment on the other side of the square. That, or I’m making a beeline for the tomatoes, or an oatmeal raisin cookie, or a jar of honey. But whichever the case, I’m usually short on time with someplace else I need to be. Which means that giving myself the luxury to meander freely among the various stalls, with no schedule or shopping list to distract me, has not typically been part of my farmer’s market experience.

So my visit last spring was a little like what I imagine a person who finally relents to putting on a pair of glasses must encounter. Everywhere I looked were mountains of the most vividly colored fruits, flowers, and vegetables I’d ever seen — beets in deep purple and orange; radishes in crazy shades of fuschia; leeks as thick as a baby’s arm, so bright they looked like they’d been dipped in a can of kelly green paint and placed on the table to dry. I felt as though I’d just been airlifted out of the desert and dropped, if not into the Garden of Eden, then at least to the place where much of its produce is sent.

Since then I’ve tried to slow my pace a little when entering the market, and while I’d say I’ve been only moderately successful in this (I’m still scrambling to get to that appointment on time), there’s no question I’m seeing more too. Take last Friday. Once more I found myself in the midst of the market, and once more I was on my way to somewhere else, but despite the fact that I was running late and the market was unpleasantly crowded (it was a warm, sunny day), I managed to actually lock my eyes on something other than the fastest route to the subway entrance. Of course, the market in late October is a very different place than it is in April, but there was still plenty to admire: tidy piles of purple onions; baskets of heirloom tomatoes in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow; even a few bins of local Brussels sprouts — the first of the season.

That sprout sighting was a source of particular excitement for me, because even though Brussels sprouts are generally available year-round, their true season is from right about now until mid-February, which means that this is the moment to make the most of them. As you might have deduced, I’m a big fan of these green little orbs. I love their slightly bitter, metallic taste and the way it mellows when introduced to some melted butter and a splash of lemon juice. I love the way they caramelize and sweeten up when blasted in the oven for ten minutes or so. And I love the way even those who say they aren’t fans are instantly converted once a plate of shredded sprouts, mixed with a little cider vinegar and some roasted nuts, is placed in front of them. For me the sprout is the perfect canvas for fall flavors, be it a dusting of salty cheese, or a roasted pecan dipped in Maple syrup.

Which brings me to this week’s recipe — a new favorite from an old issue of Gourmet. It’s for a shredded Brussels sprouts salad with walnuts and Pecorino, and is one I was inspired to search out when I came across Mark Bittman’s recipe for a Brussels sprouts and peanut slaw in the New York Times Magazine several weeks ago. That recipe caught my eye for its star ingredient, but as I contemplated making it I realized that what I was really yearning for was the sort of salad I’ve sampled at various restaurants around the city over the years, places like Cookshop and Buvette that tend to focus on seasonal ingredients and big, satisfying flavors, and where their Brussels sprouts salads have made ample use of such enticements as cheese and lemon juice.

As it turns out this recipe is very close to the one Jody Williams, the chef and owner of Buvette, seems to have been working with — though she’s something of a magician and is no doubt plying her own particular alchemy on the various ingredients featured. Still, even without the Williams touch, I was able to assemble something wonderfully satisfying, and with relatively little effort. The recipe couldn’t be easier, with just a shredding of the sprouts (as thin as you can manage), then a tossing of the resulting slaw with a cup of lightly roasted walnuts, some good quality olive oil, a bit of fresh lemon juice, and a generous sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese. I say “generous” because the recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons, a quantity I more than tripled (to 7 tablespoons). Of course, Pecorino can vary in salinity, but even though mine was quite salty I still felt as though the sprouts needed the increased volume of cheese to mellow out its bitter quality, and to amplify the salad’s richness. Ditto the lemon juice, which I doubled from 3 tablespoons to 6.

One other minor adjustment: instead of serving the assembled salad immediately as the recipe suggests, I let it rest for fifteen minutes or so. This gave the cheese a moment to melt into the oil and lemon juice, and for all of it to break down the shredded sprouts ever so slightly. It’s the difference between a dish that’s just this side of dry, to one that tips into lushness, even decadence — perfect as a side dish, or a healthy meal all on its own. Either way, it’s just the thing for fall.

Ingredients:
—1½ lbs Brussels sprouts (preferably on the stalk), any discolored leaves discarded and stems left intact
—1 cup walnuts (3½ oz, lightly toasted)
—2 tbsp finely grated Pecorino Romano (more as needed)
—1/4 cup olive oil
—3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (more as needed)

Special equipment:
—An adjustable-blade slicer

Directions:
—Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices using slicer. Toss in a bowl to separate layers.
—Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a baking pan toast walnuts in middle of oven, 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly colored. Lightly crush walnuts with your hands and add to Brussels sprouts along with cheese, oil, and lemon juice, then toss to combine. Season with pepper.
Note: Walnuts can be toasted 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Brussels sprouts can be sliced up to 3 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

The post 10/20/11 • BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.