Sweet and sour dressing (basic instructions)

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Unit Sugar
1 Unit Vinegar; (I like apple cider)
1 Unit Peanut oil; or oil of choice
Optional items
Dry Mustard
Salt and pepper
Hot pepper sauce
Celery seed
Thickening agents
Flour; or
Corn starch; or
Egg yolks

Directions

For a boiled dressing: put sugar, oil, and vinegar into a non-corrosive saucepan. If using flour for a thickener, stir it in making sure there are no lumps, or use part of the oil and make a roux with it. If using corn starch, stir the starch into a little of the vinegar and add to liquid in pan. Bring the liquid to the boil and cook until thickened (if thickening is wanted) If using egg yolks, bring liquid to boil, temper egg yolks with a little of the hot liquid and then stir them into the boiling liquid. Cook until thickened, in any case at least two or three minutes.

For a mayonnaise type dressing: Put vinegar and sugar into a food processor or blender and pour oil slowly into the running machine, making sure it is all emulsified. Seasonings can be added right at the last.

Store in refrigerator until needed.

NOTES : I read about 20 recipes, and this is about what they all said. The ratio of oil, vinegar, and sugar varies from recipe to recipe, but this is about what they all say, and you can adjust according to your personal taste (ot that of your guests). I also saw minced garlic, garlic salt, garlic powder, minced onion(both dried and fresh), minced shallots, and celery salt listed as seasonings. One recipe used honey rather than sugar, and I imagine that brown sugar or molasses could be used for a very interesting dressing Other seasoning possibilities that come to mind are curry powder, ground cumin, cilantro, and chili powder. Another possible variation would be to reduce the vinegar and sugar solution by half, add an equal amount of heavy cream and thicken in the classical way by stirring in softened butter. Not for those of us with blood pressure or cholesterol problems.

Recipe by: Bright Larkin

Posted to KitMailbox Digest by bright@... <Bright Larkin> on 98 1b, 949EST

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