Bottled salad dressing is – if we’re honest – pretty horrible stuff, in the main. Often over-vinegared, full of dry, flavourless bits and grotesquely overpriced. You may reserve a place in your heart, if you wish, for Heinz Salad Cream, but otherwise, get yourself a screwtop jar and make your own according to this simple recipe.
To make sure you have a constant supply of salad dressing, keep a jar of smooth Dijon mustard (not Colman’s yellow, which isn’t good for this: save it for sausages and the powder for colds and curries) in the fridge, and bottles of olive oil and wine vinegar (red or white) in the storecupboard.
Put equal amounts of mustard and vinegar in the jar. Add double that of olive oil – there should be twice as much oil as vinegar. Season well with salt and pepper – screw on the lid, and shake!
When dressing a salad, the ideal is to keep tossing the salad in the dressing until every leaf in the salad shines with dressing: this avoids alternating overdressed mouthfuls with disappointingly bereft ones.