Salad Dressings

‘Brutto’ Green Salad (Serves 4)

This salad, particularly the dressing, is my new favourite! It’s from the cookbook ‘Brutto’.

1 large head of romaine lettuce

2 celery stalks

1 large cucumber

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

Flaky sea salt

Black pepper

Caster sugar

1. Remove the base from the lettuce and discard, roughly shred the leaves into bitsize pieces. Wash thoroughly and use a salad spinner to dry them. Place in a large salad bowl.
2. Peel the celery (gently pull the ‘strings’ from the base up the length of the stalk), then slice finely. Peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways and remove the seeds and discard, then slice finely. Add both the celery and cucumber to the lettuce in the bowl.
3. Put the dressing ingredients (olive oil, vinegar, mustard, tarragon) in a jam jar with a tight fitting lid. Add a good pinch of salt and a good twist of black pepper and a couple of pinches of caster sugar. Shake vigorously until combined and emulsified.
4. Use the dressing to dress the salad to you taste.

Classic Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

A salad of your choice

1. Simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together (or place in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously).

Lemon Vinaigrette

Make up a salad as desired and dress with this lemon vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

finely grated zest and juice of half unwaxed lemon

pinch of sugar

sea salt and black pepper

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Make up a salad as desired and dress with this honey-mustard vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

4 tablespoons olive oil

Finely grated zest and juice of half an unwaxed lemon

1 teaspoon of honey

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.

Lime & Honey Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

4 tablespoons olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.

Tarragon Vinaigrette

Make up a salad as desired and dress with this tarragon vinaigrette:

¼ teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon sugar

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar. Add the rest a of the ingredients and mix well.

Sherry Vinegar Vinaigrette

Make up a salad as desired and dress with this vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon honey

Sea salt and black pepper

1. Whisk all the ingredients together.