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RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

The red wine vinaigrette is the workhorse and goes with just about everything—salads, braised meats, tomatoes, and vegetables. The exception is fish, which work better with a citrus vinaigrette.

Makes about 1½ cups

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped toasted almonds (optional; to toast nuts, see Symon Says)

1 teaspoon diced seeded fresno chile pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons sliced fresh mint (optional)

Combine the shallot, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in a few drops of the oil and then begin adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously. After all the oil has been incorporated, whisk in any optional ingredients you may be using.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

This is a slightly sweeter vinaigrette that is good for salads and drizzled over tomatoes and grilled meats.

Makes about 1½ cups

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the shallot, garlic, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in a few drops of the oil and then begin adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated.

SHERRY VINAIGRETTE

Use this vinaigrette for salads, seafood, poultry, and vegetables. A good Spanish sherry vinegar is worth the extra expense, especially when its flavor is front and center, as in a vinaigrette.

Makes about 1¾ cups

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the shallot, garlic, vinegar, mustard, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in a few drops of the oil and then begin adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated.

ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

Try this aromatic vinaigrette with seafood, poultry, salads, and roasted vegetables. This is a particularly great vinaigrette for beet salads.

Makes about 1¼ cups

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small nonreactive saucepan, bring the orange juice to a simmer. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature.

Combine the juice with the shallot, garlic, rosemary, pepper, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in a few drops of the oil and then begin adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated.

LEMON VINAIGRETTE

This brightly flavored vinaigrette is excellent with fish, shellfish, and poultry, as well as crisp lettuces such as romaine.

Makes about 1½ cups

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced garlic

½ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (optional)

Combine the shallot, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk in a few drops of the oil and then begin adding the oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated. Add the dill, if using, right before serving.

Seasoning Beyond Salt: Herbs, Spices, and Aromatics

When I ask one of my chefs de cuisine, Derek Clayton or Matthew Harlan—aka Powder and Chatty, respectively—to put together a new dish, they will normally phrase their first question this way: “OK, so besides garlic, shallot, lemon, and coriander, what do you want in it?”

It almost doesn’t matter what the dish is. If French cuisine gives us an onion-carrot-celery mirepoix and New Orleans gives us a Cajun mirepoix of garlic, onion, and bell pepper, then my mirepoix is garlic-shallot-lemon-coriander.