Salad dressings - take your pick

Hot or cold salads are a standard go-to and sometimes you want to find a new twist or return to an old flavour. So I'm making a list of dressings. Slowly

Mustard vinaigrette

Large teaspoon Dijon mustard

Large pinch salt

Generous grindings of black pepper

I tbsp wine vinegar

2 tbsp light oil (sunflower or similar)

• mix salt, pepper and mustard
• stir in the vinegar until it is well combined
• stir in oil until dressing looks like a loose mayonnaise

Family vinaigrette

1 clove garlic (peeled)
salt (preferably maldon) hearty pinch
pepper several good grindings
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 to 4 tbsp best olive oil

method 1

with pestle and mortar
pound the garlic, pepper and salt together to make a fine puree, don't stint, really mash it up
add the vinegar
mix to a uniform paste
add olive oil and mix well

without pestle and mortar

finely chop the garlic (as small as you can, crushing it with the side of a knife first will release the delicious juices,and help get the skin off)

method 2
mix chopped garlic, pepper and salt together

add the vinegar
mix well
add olive oil and stir

Asian salad dressing

• 1 fresh red chilli
• big handful fresh coriander
• small handful fresh mint
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tbsp thai fish sauce
• juice of 1 lime (enough for at least 5 tbsp)
• 1 tsp sugar

finely chop washed stems of coriander (making 1 heaped tbsp)

finely chop  chilli, mint and garlic

mix all the ingredients together