Salad Dressing Fundamentals

Purpose

• Adds Flavor
• Increases Palatability
• Acts as a Binding Agent
• Acts as a Lubricant

Types

• French – A temporary emulsion of oils, acids (usually vinegar) and seasonings.
• Mayonnaise – A semi-solid emulsion of edible vegetable oils, eggs, vinegar or lemon juice and seasonings.
• Cooked or Boiled – Eggs, vinegar, seasonings and liquid, such as milk lightly thickened with starch or flour.

Oils

• Olive – Most commonly utilized for its characteristic flavor and good nutrient value
• Grapeseed – Perceived as “healthy” oil.  Light flavor and high in polyunsaturated fats.
• Salad Oil – A blend of oils made from corn, safflower, canola and/or sunflower. Most economical. Least “healthy”
• Flavoring Oils – Used as a flavoring agent in combination with other oils.  Sesame, Peanut, Hazelnut & Avocado

Vinegars

• Cider – Made from fermented apples or other fruits
• Wine – Made from grapes.  Red, white, Champagne, sherry, balsamic (from unfermented grape pressings)
• Flavored – Made by immersing herbs, garlic, chilies, seeds, and/or other seasonings in any type of vinegar.
• Malt – Made from fermented barley or other types of cereal grains

Ratios

• Generally there are 3-4 parts of oil to 1 part vinegar depending on the desired strength of the dressing.
• One egg yolk will generally emulsify 1 quart of salad dressing.
• Typically, 1 – 1½ ounces of salad dressing is used to toss one normal portion of salad
• Common Flavoring Agents – Citrus Juice, Wine, Sake, Mustard, Anchovies, Soy, Sea Salt, Peppercorns, and Fresh Herbs

Types of Crisps

Flash Fried Tri-Colored Tortilla Chips
Cut pink, green and yellow corn tortillas into julienne fine strips (¹/₁₆” x ¹/₁₆” x 2” in length).  Spread out on a sheet pan and air or oven dry.  Toss the tortilla strips to remove excess crumbs.  Quickly deep fry the tortilla strips at 450° F. until crisp.  Remove and drain well on absorbent paper towels.  Cool.  Keep covered at room temperature until needed.
Deep Fried Julienne Leeks
Trim the green part of the leek and use for future stock or soup preparation.  Trim the root and discard.  Split the white part of the leek and rinse thoroughly.  Cut white leek bulbs into julienne fine strips (¹/₁₆” x ¹/₁₆” x 2” in length).  Spread out on a sheet pan and air or oven dry.  Once dry, dredge in seasoned flour.  Toss the leek strips to remove any excess flour.  Quickly deep fry the leek strips in small batches at 425° F. until crisp.  Remove and drain well on absorbent paper towels.  Cool.  Keep covered at room temperature until needed.
Oven Dried Celery Root Chips
Wash and completely peel the celery root.  Slice the root on a slicing machine as thin as possible while keeping whole round slices.  Place the chips on an oiled sheet pan taking care not to allow the chips to stack or overlap one another.  Place the sheet pan with the chips in a 200 degree oven for 4-6 hours or until the chips are golden brown and crisp.
Seasoned Onion Strings
Trim the root and top of the onions and discard.  Split the onion from the top through the core.   Remove any remaining core and discard.  With the cut side down, slice the half onions very thinly from end to end.  Spread out on a sheet pan and air or oven dry.  Once dry, dredge in seasoned flour.  Toss the onion strips to remove any excess flour.  Quickly deep fry the onions in small batches at 400° F. until crisp.  Remove and drain well on absorbent paper towels.  Cool.  Keep covered at room temperature until needed.
House-Made Seasoned Croutons
Cut the crust off of thick bread slices. Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes.  Spread out on a sheet pan and air or oven dry.  Place the bread cubes in a bowl.  Stir in just enough olive oil to lightly coat bread, stir well. (Bread should be dry enough so the oil isn’t soaked-up.) Sprinkle evenly with garlic salt and parsley flakes and/or other desired spices, on all sides.  Spread the cubes on a sheet pan and bake at 400° F. until nicely brown and crispy.  Cool.  Keep covered at room temperature until needed. 

Pickled Vegetables

Pickled vegetables taste delicious and make great use of leftover crudités and other vegetables remaining from previous events.  Once you’ve had success with them, have a go at your own variations. You can use one large jar or lots of smaller ones.

• Total Time – 1hr. 30min.
• Prep – 1hr.
• Inactive – 20min.
• Cook – 10min.
• Store – 2 days to 3 months
• Yield – 2 quarts

Ingredients:
For the pickling liquid:

• 1 quart cider or white wine vinegar
• 1 quart water
• 2 tablespoons sea salt

For the pickling marinade:

• 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and chopped

Below are some examples of vegetable and herb options:

• 2 pounds small cucumbers with 12 large sprigs of dill (Kirby cucumbers are excellent for pickling)
• 2 pounds mixed mushrooms and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage
• 2 pounds firm eggplant and 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 pounds firm zucchini and 6 sprigs of fresh mint
• 2 pounds fennel bulbs and their herby tops
• 2 pounds small onions and 4 bay leaves
• 2 pounds red and yellow peppers and a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Method of Preparation:
Make sure you have some sterilized jars ready to go. Bring the pickling liquid ingredients to the boil in a big pan. Put the pickling marinade ingredients into a large bowl with your chosen herbs and mix well. Slice up your chosen vegetables any way you like, but if it’s a larger vegetable try to get the pieces around 1/2-inch in thickness. This way, the flavors and pickling liquid will penetrate sufficiently. Smaller vegetables, like mushrooms or very small onions, can be left whole.
Place the sliced vegetables in the boiling pickling liquid and leave for around 3 minutes – they’ll probably rise to the surface, so keep pushing them down to ensure they are all immersed. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon and place them into your bowl of pickling marinade. Toss together.
Right away, put the hot vegetables and pickling marinade into your sterilized jars, filling them to the very top. Cover the vegetables completely with the marinade and put the lids on tightly. Put the jars aside until they’re cool. Clean the jars, attach labels and write the date and the contents on them. Store the jars somewhere cool and dark – it’s best to leave them for about 2 weeks before opening so the vegetables really get to marinate well, however, they can be used after two days if time is an issue.  They’ll keep for about 3 months.
Sterilizing Jars
Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
Before filling with jams, pickles or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175° F. oven for 25 minutes. Or boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.  Use tongs when handling hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

Cost Estimate

Cost of Ingredients

Cost of Labor per Station (100 Guests)

Equipment List