Vinaigrette

There are superb discussions of composing salads and how to adapt their dressings in the introductions to The French Menu Cookbook and Ten Vineyard Lunches, both by Richard Olney.  I don't propose to repeat any of that material here.  Aside from originality or theft issues there is just so much fantastic information in those books you really must buy them anyway.

All I want to describe is one very simple process I have adopted recently, with pleasing results...

Side salad for 2

Red wine vinegar
Pinch of sea salt
Vegetable oil (not extra virgin olive oil, generally)
Black pepper

Take one clean, dry bowl that you will later serve the salad in.

With an ordinary small teaspoon, that is, not a proper cooking teaspoon, or alternatively the cap of the vinegar bottle, measure 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar and pour into the bowl.

Add a pinch of sea salt, and leave for a couple of minutes to dissolve while you slice tomatoes or do whatever you have to do (this is what I have discovered recently - it's great).

Add a grinding of black pepper then measure out 4x that amount of oil into the bowl as well.  There is no need to whisk to emulsify together.

If using fresh lettuce be sure to dry thoroughly otherwise if from a bag simply place on top of the dressing to toss at the last minute at the table.  Easy and surprisingly tasty!

If doing for 1 person use half teaspoons and you can eat the salad straight out of the bowl.

One nice variation is to use cider vinegar and add half a teaspoon of grain mustard.  The point is this is easier than making up a batch that will also lose it's flavour while sitting in the fridge.