Technique
Emulsification
Oil and water do not want to mix. Bottled dressings cheat with gums. Home cooks use yolks, mustard, and slow pouring.
What it is
An emulsion is droplets of one liquid held inside another. Mayonnaise is oil in water, helped by egg yolk. Vinaigrette is a weak emulsion that wants to split. Ranch is a dairy-and-oil emulsion that bottled brands lock with gums.
How Recipe Solver uses it
When a label lists oil and water (or buttermilk) plus an emulsifier, the reconstruction has to decide: make a real emulsion, or shake-to-serve. Closest-match versions try to cling like the bottle. Cleaner versions often skip the gum and tell you to shake.
Home method
Start with the water phase and the emulsifier (yolk, mustard, a spoon of the finished sauce). Add oil slowly while whisking or blending. If it breaks, a teaspoon of water in a clean bowl plus the broken sauce, dripped in, usually brings it back. Heat is the enemy of a mayo-style emulsion; reduction is the friend of a pan sauce.
Salad dressings · Xanthan gum · Ranch sample · Culinary ratios
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