Oil Dressing II

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar (10 g)
• 1 Few grains cayenne pepper
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml)
• 1 Vinegar diluted with cold water to make 1/2 cup (120 ml) total

Instructions

1. 1. Combine the dry ingredients — mustard, salt, powdered sugar, and cayenne — in a heatproof bowl and stir to distribute evenly.
2. 2. Add the slightly beaten eggs and the oil gradually, stirring constantly until the mixture is thoroughly combined. (This is an emulsification step: adding fat slowly while agitating prevents the dressing from breaking.)
3. 3. Stir in the diluted vinegar.
4. 4. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water — the bowl should not touch the water — and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon, 8–12 minutes, and registers 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer. This is the custard-thickening stage; the eggs are the thickening agent.
5. 5. Immediately strain the dressing through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. The dressing will continue to thicken slightly as it chills.
6. 6. Use within 3 days. The finished dressing should be pale yellow, smooth, and pourable.