Alice's House Dressing

My mother and I had hi-tea at Alice's Teacup and loved the tea and every bite we had. To the extent that we returned with my father within a week and bought the cookbook too. The first recipe I tried from that book was their famous buttermilk scones, which were fabulous (in fact, I made it again this morning!).

The sandwiches were incredible too, but the salad that came with it made us drool. The flavors were deep and intense and I had to make it! It takes a while, but not all that time is active cooking time, and it makes a large batch. So it was definitely worth the effort!

To quote them from the book:

People love our house dressing and are constantly asking for the recipe. Well, here it is! Sure, there are a lot of ingredients and it takes some time, but it's so worth it. You start by cooking down the concentrate with a bunch of wonderful flavors, then emulsify it with oil and Dijon mustard. Delicious! 

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

Concentrate

5 medium shallots

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

3 1/2 cups soy sauce

2 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

2 1/2 cups rice vinegar

3/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 tbsp honey

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

Dressing

1 1/4 cups Alice's House Dressing Concentrate

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 cups canola oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. To prepare the concentrate: Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the shallots in 1 tsp olive oil, and lay them on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven for 50 minutes, or until nicely tender and browned. Cut the shallots into 1/2-inch thick shlices.

2. Heat the remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over low heat. Add the roasted shallots, garlic and ginger and sauté until caramelized, 8–10 mints– do not burn! Add all the remaining concentrate ingredients, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, or until thickened and reduced.

4. Reduce unused concentrate for up to 2 weeks.

5. To make the dressing: Add the concentrate and the mustard to a food processor or a blender, and turn it on. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil, blending until he dressing has emulsified. Adjust the seasoning as desired, and serve.