Perfect for dressing a little frisee aux lardons, a tried and true Parisian bistro classic, or even your favorite wedge or iceberg salad. For amping up the salad, you simply take frisee, washed and diced and add diced bacon and hard boiled eggs cut in half lengthwise.   You can add anything else you desire from there.

Parisian Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy of Laurent Sainsot, his traditional French version is very simple, my amped up notes are in parenthesis.

  • 2 T. red wine vinegar (get a decent one)
  • 5 T. sunflower oil (we like to use a decent olive oil instead, Costco in the small bottles is surprisingly the best)
  •  salt & pepper
  • chopped flat parsley (or we use herbs de Provence, dried, found in your spice aisle, dash of dried red pepper optional)
  • 1 shallot chopped thin (optional)
  • 1 T. Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. Viandox (or Maggi or Worcestershire sauce or au jus or omit- see note below)
  • (optional to add whatever you like, balsamic, etc., just test for taste before and after to balance)

Shake or whip or just mix with a fork…..it’s vinaigrette, which I use with any salad. The magic? Add 10 drops of Bovril or Viandox seasoning.  I like to use a small canning jar and just shake until combined right before dressing.

Viandox is a salty sauce available at grocery stores in France with a little meat extract favoring called MSG. It was developed by a process invented by Justus von Liebig.  It is now produced by the company Unilever , which markets it under the brand Knorr. Like the soy sauce, it can be used as table seasoning. This condiment can also enhance the flavor of sauces such as dressings.  The ingredients are: water , salt , extract of yeast , coloring: caramel, soy sauce (water, soybeans, wheat, salt), flavor enhancers : monosodium glutamate from sodium inosinate and sodium guanylate, acidifying : citric acid and lactic acid, extract of beef extract, spices (fenugreek, lovage), flavorings (including celery).

David Chang’s Little Gem Salad with Au Jus

From David Chang:

Here’s what I know about making a great salad: Meat helps. I learned this trick early on when I wondered why the salads were so good while I was working for Daniel Boulud. The secret, as revealed to me, was a healthy dose of veal or chicken jus in the vinaigrette. If you’re already roasting a chicken, you can use the pan drippings. Otherwise, reduce a cup of stock until it’s almost syrupy, then whisk it together with a little Dijon mustard, minced shallots, sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper for a simple, delicious dressing. My other favorite move with salads is to add even more richness in the form of a poached or slow-cooked egg. I like to poach eggs in a microwave. Use this egg poaching method to figure out how to calculate the perfect recipe for your home microwave.