Dressing up

As tender greens begin to come up at farms and in gardens, it’s smart to prepare yourself with a repertoire of dressings that do them justice. Though the smallest, juiciest lettuces call for little more than a light coating of olive oil and lemon juice, we’ll soon be inundated with firmer heads, curly endives, spicy arugula and succulent leaves of spinach. These substantial greens are fully capable of standing up to more robust textures and flavors and your palate will also welcome the exciting variety. If you have come to rely on bottled salad dressings to enliven pre-bagged greens, I beg you to read on and reconsider.

Fresh, vital greens add a welcome lightness to the warm-weather table, and when the mercury really soars, I’ll often find myself wanting to make them the centerpiece of every meal. I love to incorporate other herbs and vegetables from my garden—and occasionally some cheese, fish, or meat—and the right dressing is what pulls it all together. This can be as simple as a vinaigrette, or a bit more involved, like that addictive carrot-ginger dressing you’ve probably enjoyed at Japanese restaurants. I also like what I refer to as a “relish,” with a drier, chunkier consistency that’s an ideal complement to firm, crunchy leaves of endive or Romaine. As far as tools, a fork and a bowl are all you really need, but a mortar and pestle and a food processor or blender also come in very handy.

Many dressings are a variation on the vinaigrette, whisked together in the right proportions to create a sauce that is emulsified. (That means the fat molecules in the oil are broken down by acid, so you get a smooth, creamy texture that’s ideal for coating the greens.) The right proportions generally hover around four parts oil to one part acid, but you can adjust this to suit your taste. Do it enough and it becomes instinctive—you won’t even have to bother with measurements. Start with a classic French vinaigrette: minced shallot briefly softened in sherry or red wine vinegar, combined with Dijon mustard and olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. I sometimes add an unorthodox pinch of sugar because I think it creates the perfect balance. Always mix the acid with any other ingredients you’re using before whisking in the oil, slowly at first, until the emulsification starts to come together. If this doesn’t happen, you can add a few drops of hot water and whisk away. Or shake it up vigorously in a sealed glass jar and that should do the trick.

From here, you can go almost anywhere. With rice vinegar and sesame oil, you head East. Lime juice, cumin and chile conjure up Mexico. Champagne vinegar, preserved lemon and almond oil make a delicate yet piquant dressing that wakes up butter lettuce.

Substitute good-quality mayonnaise for some of the oil and suddenly you’ve got something much creamier. If you’re serving very bitter greens, like one of the chicories or dandelion, try a dressing of hot bacon fat, mustard and apple cider vinegar with a little honey whisked in. To dress a spinach salad with oil-cured olives and toasted walnuts, stir some crumbled feta into your combination of red wine vinegar and olive oil.

A fantastic ingredient to incorporate into your salad dressing is the humble anchovy. I once thought that paste was good enough, but I’ve since converted to the funky complexity of the salt-cured kind. Rinsed, filleted and quickly mashed, they add a rich, deeply savory flavor that is not at all fishy. They’re a key component of the quintessential Caesar, as created by British chef April Bloomfield, whose cookbook “A Girl and Her Pig” has recipes for several bright, assertively flavored dressings. Her addictively creamy and garlicky Caesar dressing (recipe on next page) uses seven whole anchovies, which disappear into a whirl of egg, oil, vinegar and cheese.

Once you start getting creative with your salads and their dressings, you’ll discover endless permutations limited only by your imagination and the ingredients you have on hand. When herbs are at their peak, I throw them in the blender to make an infused oil—try it with chives, chervil, basil or parsley and your best olive oil. These vigorously green concoctions keep in the fridge for about a week. Drop a handful of chive blossoms into some white wine vinegar and treat yourself to the delightfully pink, subtly oniony result. Or do the same with a few cloves of garlic and you’ll get something a bit more intense.

When it comes to dressing your salad, don’t just dump all the dressing on top and agitate it with a fork and spoon. Instead, pour about half the dressing around the sides of the bowl and use your (clean) hands to gently mix it into the greens. They should be lightly coated, not doused. Using the same technique, add however much of the remaining dressing you need to bring the salad up to your standard of perfection. It may be a simple dish but it’s all these little details that really make the difference. Always taste as you go, and adjust your seasonings as needed. As some sage once said, “It takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar and a spendthrift for the oil.” You can be all of those things and an inspired cook to boot.

Classic Vinaigrette

Makes about 1/2 cup

2- 2½ tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar

Fat pinch of sugar, optional

1 small shallot, grated or minced

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Stir together the vinegar, sugar, if using, and shallot, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Whisk in mustard, then stream in oil slowly, whisking constantly to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pistachio-Herb Relish

Serves 2

1/4 cup raw pistachios

1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 Thai chile, seeded and minced

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chervil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tarragon, finely chopped

1/4 cup Manzanilla olives, pitted and finely chopped

In a small pan over medium heat, lightly toast pistachios, then chop them and set aside. 


Stir together vinegar, lemon juice, chile and sea salt, then whisk in olive oil.
Stir in toasted pistachios, herbs and olives. Ideal spooned over halved romaine hearts or spears of endive.

Asian Carrot Dressing

Makes about 1 ½ cups

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped


1 small shallot, peeled and roughly chopped


2 tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger


1/2 Serrano chile, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon red miso


1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar


2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil


1/4 cup sunflower oil


2 tablespoons water

Juice of half a lemon

Whiz the carrot, shallot, ginger and chile in a food processor until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, then add the miso, honey, vinegar and sesame oil. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil and water, then stir in lemon juice as needed.

Caesar Dressing

(Lightly adapted from April Bloomfield)

Serves 4

7 whole salt-packed anchovies, rinsed, soaked and filleted

2 smallish garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

3
tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 cup Champagne vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 large egg

1 cup expeller-pressed sunflower or grapeseed oil

1 ounce Parmesan, very finely grated

Put the anchovy fillets and garlic in a small food processor and pulse to a rough paste. Add the mustard, vinegar and lemon juice, crack the egg, and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. With the processor on, gradually drizzle in the oil in a steady stream. Finally, add the Parmesan and blend until it’s all well combined. Scrape the dressing into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, then refrigerate to chill and thicken up. (Dressing will keep for three days.)