RM Signature
Italian Dressing.
Our house Italian: sweet and tart at the same time, with red wine vinegar, a real amount of sugar, dried oregano and two kinds of garlic. It tastes loud on a spoon because it has to season a whole bowl of salad.
Half a cup of sugar is the point.
The sugar rounds off the vinegar so the dressing tastes bright instead of sour. That sweet-sharp balance is what makes a chopped salad taste the way it should.
We split the oil between canola and extra-virgin olive oil. All olive oil can taste heavy and a little bitter. The canola keeps the dressing clean and lets the vinegar and garlic come through. Dijon helps hold the oil and vinegar together. Fresh garlic gives bite, and garlic powder gives a steady, rounded garlic flavor underneath.
What You Need
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 clove fresh garlic, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Grate the garlic as fine as you can so it almost melts into the dressing, since chunks of raw garlic are harsh. Chefs use a microplane, a small, very fine handheld grater, and it's worth owning. No microplane? Use the smallest holes on a box grater, or mince the garlic, sprinkle it with a pinch of the salt and press it into a paste with the flat side of your knife. Measure both oils into one measuring cup with a spout so you can pour a thin, steady stream. Set a medium bowl on a damp towel so it stays put while you whisk, and have a clean pint jar with a lid ready.
How to Make It
- Dissolve the sugar
Whisk the red wine vinegar and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes. The sugar should be mostly dissolved. When you drag the whisk across the bottom, you should feel very little grit.
- Add the seasonings
Whisk in the Dijon, oregano, garlic powder, grated garlic, salt and pepper until the Dijon disappears into the vinegar with no streaks.
- Stream in the oil
Whisk steadily and pour the oil in a thin stream, about the width of a pencil lead. This should take about 1 minute. If oil starts pooling on the surface, stop pouring and keep whisking until it disappears, then go again. When you're done, the dressing should look thickened, cloudy and evenly blended, with no clear oil slick on top.
- Rest it
Pour it into the jar, seal it and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. The dried oregano and garlic need that time to soften and flavor the dressing.
- Shake before using
Some separation is normal. Shake the jar hard for 10 to 15 seconds, until it looks cloudy and uniform again. Then dress the salad right away.
Method Moments
Method Moment 046 · Emulsions need gradual incorporation
Oil and vinegar don't want to mix. Whisking breaks the oil into tiny droplets, and the Dijon coats them so they stay suspended in the vinegar. Add the oil a little at a time and the vinegar can take it in. Dump it all in at once and the oil wins and floats on top. This is a loose emulsion, so it will separate as it sits. That's why you shake it again right before you dress the salad.
Two oils, on purpose
Neutral canola keeps the dressing light and clean. Olive oil adds flavor. Together you get olive oil character without the heaviness or bitterness.
Taste it on the salad
This dressing is built to be strong. Judge it on a piece of romaine or iceberg, not on a spoon.
Know It's Right
- Cloudy, evenly blended dressing with no oil slick right after whisking or shaking.
- No sugar grit on your tongue.
- Sweet first, then sharp vinegar, then garlic and oregano at the finish.
- It clings to a lettuce leaf in a thin coat instead of running straight off.
The First 30 Seconds
Go slow when you start streaming in the oil. Once the emulsion starts to form, it gets easier to add the rest. Rush the start and the dressing never pulls together in the bowl.
Shake It Every Time
In a busy kitchen the dressing sits between orders and separates. Pour it unshaken and the first salad gets all oil, the last gets all vinegar. Shake hard right before it hits the lettuce and every salad tastes the same.
Make It Yours
- Flat: a small pinch of salt.
- Too sharp: shake again first, since unmixed vinegar tastes harsher. Then taste again.
- Too sweet: check that it's fully shaken. Oil sitting on top dulls the vinegar.
- Garlic too hot: let it rest the full hour. Raw garlic mellows as it sits.
Taste it on a leaf first, and change one thing at a time.
If Something's Off
- Sugar won't dissolve. Keep whisking. If your vinegar is cold, warm it slightly and whisk the sugar in, then let it cool before you add the oil.
- Dressing won't come together. The oil went in too fast. Put 1 tablespoon of the broken dressing and a small dab of Dijon in a clean bowl. Slowly whisk the rest back in.
- Thick or cloudy out of the fridge. That's the olive oil firming up in the cold. Let the jar sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes, then shake.
- Separates fast. That's normal for this style. Shake it right before using.
Plating & Finish
Add about two-thirds of the dressing you plan to use and toss well. Add more only if the leaves still look dry. Every piece should look lightly glossy, with nothing pooling in the bottom of the bowl.
Make Ahead
Keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. It has fresh garlic, so always keep it cold. It tastes even better on day two. If the olive oil firms up in the fridge, let it sit out 10 to 15 minutes, then shake.
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