A classic French vinaigrette built with Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and mild olive oil, with finely chopped shallot and fresh basil added at the last moment.
Ingredients
- 180 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
- 15 g Dijon mustard
- 1 piece fresh shallot
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 2 pinches fine salt
- to taste whole black peppercorns
Method
- Peel the shallot, cut it lengthwise, then chop it very finely with a sharp knife. The pieces should be even and almost confit-like in appearance, with no large pieces that would dominate the sauce.
- Quickly rinse the basil in cold water, pat it thoroughly dry in a clean kitchen towel, then pick off the leaves. Stack them, roll them without crushing, and finely slice them just before adding them so they do not turn black.
- In a stable bowl, place the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, fine salt, and freshly ground pepper. Whisk until the salt has dissolved and the mustard has loosened into the vinegar.
- Add the olive oil in a very slow stream while whisking constantly. The vinaigrette should thicken slightly, become glossy, and coat the whisk rather than separate immediately.
- Stir in the chopped shallot, then mix gently with a spoon to distribute it without breaking the emulsion. Let it rest briefly at room temperature, long enough for the shallot to lose its raw sharpness and flavor the vinegar.
- Add the chopped basil at the last moment, just before serving. Mix gently: the sauce should remain green, fresh, and fragrant, with no oxidized basil or separated oil on the surface.
- Taste it on a lettuce leaf or piece of bread rather than on its own from a spoon. Adjust with a little salt, pepper, or vinegar if needed: the desired balance is lively, rounded, and distinctly herbal.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 407.7 kcal
- Protein
- 0.31 g
- Carbohydrate
- 1.31 g
- Fat
- 45.18 g
- Fibre
- 0.3 g
- Calcium
- 9.99 mg
- Iron
- 0.29 mg
- Magnesium
- 4.71 mg
