This dressing is for a German style potato salad, but works well as a dressing for lettuces as well. The fennel takes it into a Mediterranean direction, so if you want a true German style dressing eliminate the fennel and go with some caraway instead, but go lightly with that. Caraway can easily take over a dish. This recipe makes more than enough dressing for the potato salad recipe, but better more than not enough. If you just want the dressing for a salad, halve the recipe. Toasting the fennel seeds in this recipe give them a sweeter, drier flavor. Untoasted, the seeds are stronger and have a more licorice-like flavor. Using half and half will add another layer to the flavors. You could also use this recipe for a slaw with cabbage, carrots, and fennel.
INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup apple cider vinegar ½ -1 tablespoon fennel seed, toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant and powdered, or toast only half the amount salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons sugar or to taste (Agave syrup works here also, and you could use honey, but use a light flavored one or you will overwhelm the dressing.) 1-1½ tablespoons minced shallot 1-2 tablespoons Dijon style mustard 2¼ cups light flavored olive oil
METHOD:
Put the vinegar in a large non-reactive bowl, and add the fennel powder. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes so the fennel flavor permeates the vinegar.
Add some salt and pepper, the sugar, and the shallot to the bowl. Whisk in and then add the mustard and whisk that in as well.
Begin adding the oil in a thin steady stream, whisking all the time. Continue whisking in the oil until an emulsion forms and the dressing is “tight”- the oil and vinegar are mixed so they are one and there is no obvious separation of the two. You might not need all the oil.
Store in the refrigerator until needed.
Chef’s Tips and Notes:
Toasted fennel has a maple note to it, so you could change this dressing by using maple syrup instead of sugar or agave as the sweetener. The dressing would then be good for a sauce on pork chops. Add a little rosemary or thyme to the dressing for this. To make a much more German style dressing, add caraway instead of fennel seeds, and you could even use a little bacon fat in the oil. Don’t forget to switch to a neutral flavored oil like grapeseed instead of olive oil. For a Spanish flair, use sherry vinegar and smoked paprika (pimenton de la Vera).
Yield: Around 3 cups
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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