The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 954

• Vinaigrettes are emulsified mixtures of oil and acid—
usuallyeithervinegarorcitrusjuice—withotherflavoring
agents.
• Mayonnaise-baseddressings begin with an emulsion as
well, this time aided by egg yolks. Because egg-yolk
emulsions are extremely stable, mayonnaise-based
dressingstendtobethickerandcreamier.
• Dairy-based dressings start with a bacterially thickened
dairyproductlikesourcream,crèmefrche,orbuttermilk
andaddotherflavoringagentstoit.
When it comes to making any of these dressings,
technique rules. Once you’ve got the basic methods and
ratiosdown,theybecomeinfinitelyadaptable.


DRESSINGFamily#1:
VINAIGRETTES
Forme,thebigquestionaboutvinaigretteshasneverreally
been “how?” but “why?” Is emulsifying the oil and acid
really necessary? Can’t I just drizzle olive oil and vinegar
over my greens, toss ’em in the bowl, and get the same
result?Whymustmyvinaigrettebesocarefullyconstructed?
To get the answers to these questions, a bit of hard-core
kitchenworkwasinorder.

Firstthingsfirst:Whatexactlyisanemulsion?Atitsmost
basic,it’swhatyougetwhenyouforcetwothingsthatdon’t