Shallot-Soy Vinaigrette

Ming says: This much-loved dressing is a Blue Ginger staple, on our menu since day one, and probably there forever. It epitomizes the East-West culinary approach. Vinaigrette is, of course, the basic French salad dressing, a mixture of oil and vinegar to which mustard and sometimes shallots are added. For this Blue Ginger version, I use Chinese black and rice vinegars plus soy sauce, in addition to mustard and shallots, for cross-cultural flavor.

This works beautifully on everyday tossed greens and other impromptu salad combinations.

Like many vinaigrettes, the dressing doubles as a marinade for poultry, meat, and fish. For example, use it with peeled shrimp and scallops before grilling them.

For an intriguingly flavored cole slaw, marinate finely sliced red and/or white cabbage in the vinaigrette for 5 to 10 minutes.