This is my version of Cajun vinaigrette dressing that goes perfectly with a wilted house salad. Its inspired by a Cajun joint on the Coulee des Poches in Lafayette, Louisiana. The salad was simple, but the flavor of the vinaigrette was bold and delicious. I left with a to-go order that ran out all too soon and a recipe that didn’t match the original.

There were many experiments before I came up with something I really liked, perhaps even more than the original. That’s the fun in doing it yourself, because you can add or subtract things to suit your own taste. This originated over thirty years ago and has endured the test of time in our family kitchen.

You can make this in 15 minutes, so there’s no excuse for using commercially bottled stuff with half the flavor. Warm it up and whisk it vigorously before serving to enjoy the full bouquet and taste.

If you are wondering what a coulee is, it’s a dry ravine or gully that fills with water during the wet season. The Riverside Inn was perched above the coulee and the shrimp, crab and oysters were good enough that I vividly remember it, like it was yesterday.