Classic French dressing is really simple. Core framework is three parts oil to one part vinegar to 0.5 parts Dijon mustard. All of these things do different things. Oil is going to give richness and it’ll give body to the dressing. I’m using rape seed oil. It’s got a beautiful color to it. It’s nice and rich, but you could replace this with a different neutral oil. If you use something like olive oil, you’re going to have quite a strong flavor. So, grape seed oil is is always better to use. And then you can whack in your vinegar. Obviously, the vinegar is going to give acidity but also a little bit of sweetness. This is a nice sweet vinegar, Chardonnay vinegar. So using anything at home, just use a cider vinegar or a white balsamic. Anything like that will make a beautiful dressing. The Dijon is going to give a little bit of heat, but also very importantly, there is an emulsifying agent in mustard that helps to bring and bind the sauce together. So it’s almost like an egg yolk substitute with a good amount of flavor and acidity and heat as well. Off the back of that, you can make any simple dressing. You could add shelots, you could add chilies, you can add anything you want. You can add loads of pepper, a little bit of salt. What we’ve got there is a very basic vinegarette which would be perfect for salads.

45 Comments

  1. Seed oils are poison. I can't believe people in 2025 would willingly buy them given the toxic hexane and gmo glyphosate laced cancer causing shit in there. Olive oil or avocado oil. Period.

  2. Rapeseed oil? Really? Where did you get that idea, because no French chef I know would even think about using rapeseed oil.

  3. when he said a classic french dressing i was thinking it was going to be french dressing not a vinaigrette from France. both are good but not remotely similar.

  4. What about peanut oil, common fat in Lyoniase cooking? I use olive oil, peanut oil, and buter… and lard I rendered myself, now and again.

  5. Mustard comes from the seed of the mustard plant which shares the genus “Brassica” with the rapeseed plant.

    French dressing is a family reunion!

  6. Stop listening to these people promoting these highly processed oils. Just use extra virgin olive oil or pure peanut or avocado oils if you aren't using butter or animal fat.

  7. Not all olive oils have a strong flavour but some cold-pressed rapeseed oils do; so your advice is bollocks. Again.

  8. Jesus this guy's so wrong on so many videos by trying to be needlessly fancy. By all means use olive oil on vinaigrette. And salt. No reason not to add herbs like freshly chopped parsley if you have it handy. Vinaigrette isn't just the one recipe.

  9. Rapeseed oil is also Canola oil. It’s the same thing. Extremely bad for you!! NEVER eat canola oil! It’s damaging effects are what is killing is with cancer and obesity! It can take up to 6 months just to rid your body of the oils and their chemicals! It should seriously be banned and I can’t believe they still sell it!

  10. im sorry but why is it normal for chefs now days to be using plastic cutting boards? i guarantee you all the same chefs dont have one inside their home so why are they okay with serving us micro plastics in their place of business?

  11. All this is right except the "do not use olive oil" part. Everything tastes better with butter or olive oil. Just maybe do not use a super flavorful one for this.