Pistachio Vinaigrette

Last year, I went to a tapas cooking class. I REALLY like tapas.

It was a super fun day out and I learnt a lot of great skills and tips, as well as the basis for some fantastic recipes, most of which I have already used numerous times.

One of my favourite things I learnt was how to make Vinaigrette. It is SO easy! This Pistachio Vinaigrette can be used in so many ways, over salad, dipping sauce for bread, over seafood. My salad recommendations are grilled peaches or roast beetroot and goats cheese over rocket. Seriously.

SERIOUSLY - Grilled Peach and Rocket salad with this Vinaigrette. Delicious.

But I digress.

What you need:

1/2 cup of white wine. Dry if you have it, otherwise, any white wine
1.5 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup pistachios (I prefer salted)
Splash of lemon is desired

Yield: Enough to dress a large salad (to feed 4) well. I like to make a lot as it keeps nicely for a few days.

What to do:

1. Put the white wine in a saucepan on just below your highest stove top heat. You can walk away from this but not far. Watch it, swirl it in the pan, it should half in size and go a bit darker.
2. Get out two bowls.
3. Finely dice/mince your garlic (don’t be ashamed to use a mincer, just be ashamed if you buy pre-minced garlic. That stuff is barely garlic) and place in one of the bowls.
4. De-shell all your pistachios and place in the other bowl.
5. Your wine should be nicely reduced by now. No need to measure it back out, just as long as it has had a good 5 minutes. Take it off the heat and set aside for a moment.
6. Place white wine vinegar, olive oil and sugar in the bowl with the garlic.
7. Whisk in the reduced white wine (it does not need to be completely cooled down).
8. Roughly chop all the pistachios and place half in with the liquid ingredients. Reserve the other half to scatter over your food as you serve – this is where you would add the splash of lemon should you wish.

 

Easy as 1, 2 bowl