a family secret...
not really but this is a staple for us and a great option for just about anything. Light and pleasant. Vinegar & Oil !
Seriously, people tend to focus on the oil or "balsamic" or wine vinegars but I've had fantastic results using Marukan "Seasoned Gourmet" Rice Vinegar with just about any oil - though of course I prefer a quality olive oil. Don't bother with other brands or the other Marukan vinegars, because the flavor is completely different. It is also "All Natural" Make sure "Seasoned Gourmet" and don't get the low salt version either. Easy to confuse them since the bottles are very similar but again not the same.
I also use it is various Asian dishes and recently experimenting with adding it to my pickling brine. It will not overwhelm the flavor like most vinegars would - even if you use it liberally. I made Asian style chicken thighs last week where the primary marinade was sesame oil and this vinegar and the response was nothing short of "the best chicken I've ever had" garlic, salt, pepper, whole sesame seeds and Thai sweet chili sauce also in there. I reduced the marinade to a glaze which next day was like a jelly but this also was fantastic.
A few days later we did whole chickens with a similar marinade though cooked differently. Followed up by using this chicken for soup where again we got the "best chicken soup ever!" I used a long spaetzle from World Market for the noodles which were also a hit.
