Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Nosrat, Samin
Page 169 covers the concept of emulsification in vinaigrette. It explains that vigorously whisking oil and vinegar forces them to disperse into a homogenous, thicker liquid called an emulsion, but this basic vinaigrette is unstable and will quickly break — separating back into oil and vinegar. A broken vinaigrette coats salad unevenly, while a stable emulsion delivers balanced flavor in every bite. The page ends mid-sentence introducing emulsifiers as the solution for stability.
- An emulsion is created when oil and vinegar are whisked together into a homogenous, thicker liquid.
- A simple vinaigrette emulsion is unstable — it breaks within minutes as fat and water molecules re-separate.
- Broken vinaigrette leads to uneven coating on lettuce: some bites taste too sour, others too oily.
- A well-emulsified vinaigrette delivers balanced flavor in each bite.
- The text introduces emulsifiers as the next step for making an emulsion more stable (explanation cut off).