Orange Vinaigrette
For when restraint is the harder choice
Prep time: 10 min | Total time: 10 minutes | Difficulty: 3/5
Some recipes are about adding things. This one is about knowing when to stop.
I wrote a short essay on restraint, impatience, and the damage caused by touching things one minute too soon over on Substack. That version also includes detailed Chef’s Notes on emulsification, oil ratios, and tasting mid-process. The recipe below stands on its own — this is simply where the thinking ends up.
Ingredients
Fresh orange juice 60–80 g / 2–2.8 oz (about 1 orange, depending on size)
White wine vinegar or champagne vinegar 10–15 g / 0.35–0.5 oz
Extra virgin olive oil 40–55 g / about 3–4 tbsp
Neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, or avocado) 80–105 g / about 6–8 tbsp
Fine sea salt 1–2 g / ¼–½ tsp
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Orange zest (optional) ½–1 tsp
Equipment
Small bowl
Whisk
Citrus juicer (optional)
Microplane or fine zester (if using zest)
Small spoon (for tasting)
Method
Zest the orange first (if using), then juice it into a small bowl. You want 60–80 g / 4–5 tbsp juice. A little pulp is fine; seeds are not.
Add the salt and whisk until fully dissolved. Taste — it should register as seasoned, not salty.
Add the vinegar, starting with 2 tsp. Whisk, then taste. Stop as soon as the acidity is present but not dominant.
Place the bowl on a damp kitchen towel and tilt it slightly towards you so it stays put. Combine the olive oil and neutral oil in a measuring cup with a spout.
Begin emulsifying: whisk with your dominant hand, using tight, fast circles with the whisk tip riding the seam of the bowl. With your other hand, pour the oil in a thin, steady stream. If you feel like you need a third hand at any point, stop pouring — not whisking.
As the vinaigrette starts to come together, you can increase the pour slightly, but never all at once. It should look glossy and fluid, cohesive but not thick.
Finish with black pepper and (if using) the orange zest. Whisk once more.
Taste and adjust in this order only: salt → vinegar → oil.
See you soon again for the food; the rambling, as per usual, is on Substack.