Shallot-Soy Vinaigrette

The base of this dressing, one of Ming Tsai’s master recipes, is quite standard containing oil, vinegar, mustard and shallots but in this version, Chinese black and rice vinegars are used and a little soy sauce is added as well. I didn’t have black vinegar so used balsamic, the recommended substitute, and having come off a recent negative experience with homemade mayonnaise that tasted too strongly of dijon, I reduced the grainy mustard. Surprisingly – or not, since it is the name of the vinaigrette – it tasted primarily of shallots and soy, tangy with a hint of mustard and a touch of sweetness. It was very good as a salad dressing, though I don’t know if I would have thought that if I’d used the full amount of mustard, and even better as a marinade.

I made ¼ recipe (with 1/8 the grainy mustard) which was plenty to marinate chicken for this dish with enough left over to dress a few salads.