Today I was reading around about vinaigrettes, looking for ideas and proporitions, and found the comment that the more acid you use, the more salt is needed to balance the emulsion.
Interesting that you should raise this question. I just returned from a week at cooking school with
Kasma Loha-unchit. In addition to learning approx 50 exceptional Thai recipes, the one thing I walked away with is how to balance flavors. Specifically, how to balance the sweet, sour, salt ingredients to maximize the character of each. When using acids, it will not only require salt, but also sugar to give you a pathway to the exact note you are looking for to make your recipe sing. I make vinegarettes all the time. I've noticed that I get much better lift in my emulsions when I add salt and sugar, and together, they give a little more vibrancy to my herbs. Kasma had us taste our ingredients step-by-step. Many of us were sure that she was adding too much sugar to our sauces, marinades and pastes. But, quite the contrary! We tasted after the inclusion of more of one ingredient or another. The addition of a bit more salt or sugar would bring out the character of the lime or pick up the character of the coconut, without imparting an overpowering salty or sugary flavor. It was like magic. But your question is about emulsion. I have no scientific evidence, but my anecdotal experience is that, yes, your vinegarette will have better result in marrying the oil and wet ingredients into a more silky texture with the addition of a bit more salt and a pinch of sugar. Good luck!
