A couple of weekends ago, our friends Lee and Cristina Hudson, who own Hudson Ranch in Napa Valley, came to visit us at our home in Upstate New York. While I’m normally the queen of dressing the salad in our house (it’s one of my rare contributions in the kitchen), Cristina seemed very eager to make her dressing, so I moved aside. The first thing that surprised me was that she asked me for a mortar and pestle. I mean, normally I just express garlic into a jar and then add in some combo of oil, vinegar, lemon, and Dijon mustard. I’ve never used a mortar and pestle for the job, though I’ve had several on my shelf for years that I picked up in flea markets. But macerating the garlic makes the flavor less harsh and gives the dressing a silkiness, plus I love having a work in progress in a beautiful object on the counter all day. The vinaigrette was truly incredible, so I had to ask Cristina for its back story and recipe, which she shares below. —Yolanda
This is a recipe I learned from Alice Waters during my tenure at Chez Panisse. It is a staple in our home. My version differs slightly from Alice’s, but what stays consistent is quality ingredients. Using our extra virgin olive oil and our Pipina’s aged red or white wine vinegar adds noticeable complexity to the vinaigrette. – Cristina Hudson
Ingredients
1 garlic clove
A good pinch of kosher salt
¼ cup aged red or white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
Add the salt and garlic into a mortar and pound into a smooth paste. Add the red or white wine vinegar and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper and allow to macerate for 10 minutes.
Whisk in the EVOO until the mixture emulsifies. Taste and season to your liking. Toss with your favorite lettuces.
Variations:
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, smash garlic clove with the back of your knife
and chop until creamy.
And if you’re in the market for a great mortar and pestle, here are three we like that range from classic to modern to fancy.
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