Effect of the type of oil on a vinaigrette's texture?
When I prepare vinaigrette, I always use the same basic technique: first the vinegar (or another acid liquid like lemon juice), some salt, a spoonful of Dijon mustard and then I add oil little by little (not as carefully as with mayonnaise – in that case I use an electric whisk – but not all at once), whisking or even simply mixing it with a spoon or fork.
Usually, that's enough to obtain a nice emulsion but in some cases the oil and vinegar never seem to mix properly and the texture isn't right. It's merely anecdotal but I have the feeling that the type of oil I use is the key factor here. Olive, walnut or pumpkin seed oil all seem to work very well, sunflower oil not so much.
My question is: Is it really the case? Does the type of oil have a well documented effect on how easy it is to get a good emulsion? And if that's the case, is there some “neutral” oil I could use instead of sunflower oil if I want to avoid the strong flavour of olive or walnut oil?
Best Answer
Add egg yolk or lecithin to your mixture and whisk it again.
Here is some theory:
To make an emulsion (consistent, not separating oil–water mixture), we rely on emulsifiers – long organic molecules that on one end bind with water, and another with oil. They play role of a glue that does not let molecules of water and oil separate.
The most common emulsifier is a lecithin – compound found in egg yolks. There is a more complete list of them I found on this website:
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What will happen if you mix vinegar and oil?
Kitchen experiment No matter how hard you try to shake, stir, or whisk oil and vinegar together, they eventually separate. This happens because vinegar and oil are made of very different types of molecules that are attracted to their own kind.Why do you need oil in salad dressing?
Oils are full of healthy fats, which help you better absorb the nutrition of your salad greens. Plus oils can be beneficial to your skin and hair, they can increase your energy levels, and reduce inflammation. A note of caution about using oil on your salad.Why is mayonnaise an oil in water emulsion?
Mayonnaise is an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion with a dispersed oil phase and a continuous water phase containing egg, vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard and water. The oil-water interface is stabilized by egg yolk, which acts as an emulsifier.Why does an oil and vinegar salad dressing?
A polar substance will not dissolve a nonpolar substance. In the case of oil and vinegar, the vinegar is polar and more dense than the oil, so it settles on the bottom of the container. The oil is nonpolar and less dense, so it doesn't dissolve in the vinegar, and it floats on top.8 Healthy Salad Dressings (REALLY QUICK)
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Answer 2
Yeah, sure!
Vegetable or canola (a.k.a. rapeseed) oil is used in dressings all the time! If you're having trouble getting the dressing to come together, I recommend tossing in an egg yolk to help the emulsification along.
If a raw egg yolk freaks you out you can add a teaspoon of mayo to every 3 tablespoons of oil.
If someone has an egg allergy, replace the mayo with mustard (Dijon works best, IMO).
The standard ratios I use are 1 tablespoon of acid (vinegar) to every 3 tablespoons of oil. I don't worry about slowly adding the oil it, because a brisk whisking with enough emulsifying agent always gets the result I'm looking for.
To actually answer your question: I've never noticed a textural difference in my dressings based on the kind of oil I use. HOWEVER, it's possible that how much whisking you're performing is altering the mouthfeel by pumping different amounts of air into the dressing.
Answer 3
Its the ingredients in the premixed mustard which is promoting the emulsification of the oil; have you changed the brand of Mustard you use? Try increasing the amount you use, or as already suggested use some egg yoke.
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