Vinaigrette Dressing

It has to be said that this is always going to be a matter ofpersonal taste according to how much acidity you like and what your preferencesare as to flavourings and so on. I seem to suffer from some kind of mentalhandicap with dressings, which roughly means that other people's saladdressings always seem to taste better than my own – my husband's particularly.

Here I have set out myfavourite version of vinaigrette, but it's adaptable: you can use red or white wine vinegar, adifferent mustard or no mustard; if you like it sharper, use a higher ratio ofvinegar, and if you want it less sharp use a higher ratio of oil. 

 The following combination is my ownpersonal favourite. Vinaigrette dressing is best made and used as fresh as possible, because once theoil is exposed to the air it loses some of its fragrance. If you want toprepare things ahead, proceed up to the vinegar stage and leave adding the oiltill the last minute.

Method

Begin by placing the salt in the mortar and crush it quite coarsely, then add the garlic and, as you begin to crush it and it comes into contact with the salt, it will quickly break down into a purée.