Vinaigrette Needs Much Less Oil Than You Think
At some point in salad history, everyone agreed that the correct dressing ratio was one part vinegar to three parts oil. They are all wrong. If you are constantly disappointed with vinaigrette recipes, do what I do: use half the oil required by the recipe and move on. That’s all, this is a hack.
The “classic” ratio of 1: 3 sucks because it upsets the balance between acidity and salt, which makes a good vinaigrette, well, okay. Adding too much oil dilutes the flavor you’ve worked so hard to create, with carefully selected vinegars, chopped flavors, mustard , sugar, and herbs. And just because you use a mild, neutral oil – and you should be – that doesn’t mean it brings in its own scent. The end product is so bad that you have to pour it out to taste at all, resulting in a raw, oily, over-seasoned salad. No thanks!
Think of it this way: The perfect vinaigrette is intense enough to tuck a huge bowl of greens with just a few tablespoons, and you shouldn’t be able to chew it down with a spoon. The sharper and sharper, the better and easier it is to achieve this – use about half as much oil as you thought.