Recipe By: @chefreillymeehan

🍓 Fun Fact: Letting ripe strawberries sit in vinegar pulls their color, aroma, and sweetness into the acid, creating a fruit vinegar with far more character than a flavored store-bought bottle.

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For the Strawberry Vinegar
1 cup very ripe strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped
1 cup red wine vinegar

For the Vinaigrette
¾ cup strawberry vinegar
2 tbsp stone-ground mustard
1 jalapeño, minced
1 small shallot, minced
⅓ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried basil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1½ cups olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1️⃣ Make the strawberry vinegar
Combine the strawberries and red wine vinegar in a clean, nonreactive container. Lightly crush the berries to release their juices, then cover and let the mixture infuse until deeply pink and fragrant.

2️⃣ Strain it.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently on the fruit. Measure ¾ cup of the finished vinegar.

3️⃣ Build the base.
Combine the strawberry vinegar, mustard, jalapeño, shallot, garlic powder, dried basil, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a bowl or blender.

4️⃣ Emulsify.
Whisk continuously while slowly streaming in the olive oil, or blend until glossy and fully combined.

5️⃣ Season and adjust.
Season with salt and black pepper. Add more strawberry vinegar for brightness or a little more olive oil to soften the acidity.

6️⃣ Rest and serve.
Let the vinaigrette rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then whisk or shake again before serving.

The move: Spoon it over arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled peaches, or a salad with goat cheese. It also works beautifully as a marinade for chicken or shrimp.

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