Essentials For Speciality Salads

One must have sufficient knowledge about the oils and vinegars, which help to make the salad special and unique.

Oil Primer
Each type of oils provides a wide range of flavours. A slight spill of an unexpected oil can change the taste of the salad from worst to best or vice versa.

Extra virgin olive oil.
This is an all purpose salad oil having a full-bodied flavour that can be peppery, fruity, grassy or flowery. The oil should be checked by colour, and not by price. Bright green oils are peppery and are a little bitter, while yellow coloured are warmer and have a buttery flavour.

Nut and seed oil.
This has a rich, toasty flavour that is best suited for strong greens or Asian-accented dishes. These are less stable, and thus have to be stored them in the refrigerator to avoid rancidity.

Hazelnut oil.
This is a rich and heavy oil to be used alone. Made from roasted nuts. Combine it with extra virgin olive oil, to enhance the nutty flavour. Best for pears, artichokes and wild rice.

Walnut oil.
This assertive oil should be mixed in equal parts with extra virgin olive oil or sunflower seed oil to moderate it. Tames bitter greens; great with apples and pears.

Dark sesame oil.
This is made from roasted sesame seeds, providing an aromatic intensity. It should be used in small quantities as a flavouring oil. Goes best with cabbage slaws.

Sunflower seed oil.
This is an all-purpose salad oil with a mild nutty flavour that adds character to a dressing without dominating it.

Grape seed oil.
This is generally preferred for salad dressings because it emulsifies well. When used in combination, the neutral taste allows the flavours of the other oil to shine through.

Vinegar Primer
This adds depth and acidity to the vinaigrette. The amount of oil depends upon the acidity of the vinegar, in order to balance the dressing out.

Apple cider vinegar.
It is a tart, fruity vinegar best for grain salads, bacon or smoked fish. Usually mixed with a lighter oil like sunflower or peanut.

Balsamic vinegar.
This sweet, low acid and full-bodied vinegar is best used for providing a sweet accent to other vinegars. Used as a salad vinaigrette or at the end of a meal, Can be showered over fresh fruit like raspberries, strawberries or melon.

Distilled white vinegar.
It is a harsh and powerfully acidic vinegar not good for dressing salads. Can be used for pickling or removing odour from the cutting boards.

Rice wine vinegar.
It has a mild flavour and low acidity, goes best with Asian greens, mesclun or other delicate greens. Sherry vinegar. This is a high-acid Spanish wine vinegar full-flavoured, nutty and complex.

Red wine vinegar.
This is an all-purpose, workhorse vinegar. It has powerful acidity, and makes it a good balance for heavy nut oils.

White wine vinegar.
This is milder than red wine vinegar. Used along with lighter, more neutral-tasting oils like grape seed or sunflower.

Herb-infused vinegar.
The white wine vinegar is mixed with some of the classic fresh salad herbs, like tarragon, chervil, parsley, basil, dill or cilantro.

Salad dressings can be amended by the following:

Sharpen capers, mustard, olives.
Enliven shallots, scallions, chives.
Enrich sour cream, plain yoghurt.
Sweeten honey, roasted garlic, balsamic vinegar.
Punch up crushed garlic, anchovies, black pepper.

Salad can be enhanced by: Toasted nuts or seeds - walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, plums and many others.
Smoked fish.
Crumbled bacon.
Sliced apples or pears.

Dried fruits: cherries, raisins, cranberries.
Grated or shaved cheeses: Parmesan, pecorino Romano or aged gouda.
Crumbled cheeses: blue cheese, feta, fresco, goat cheese.
Sectioned oranges.

Hard boiled egg, sliced or crumbled. Olives, artichoke hearts, roasted peppers. Strips of leftover chicken or turkey.

Poached chicken breast, shredded or cubed. Cooked shrimp or scallops. Chickpeas.

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