Ingredients
- 120 g bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 120 ml apple cider vinegar
- 120 ml water
- 60 ml Québec maple syrup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Method
- Cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp; reserve 2 tbsp of the rendered fat.
- Cook the onion in the fat for 3 minutes.
- Add vinegar, water, maple syrup, mustard, and pepper, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 minute until glossy.
- Pour hot over spinach, frisée, or warm potato salad.
Conversion and rationale
Original sweetener (classic version): 75 g brown sugar
Conversion used: Replace the brown sugar with 60 ml maple syrup and reduce the water by 60 ml; no oven adjustment is needed.
Why Quebec maple syrup: Maple echoes the smoky bacon and gives the classic Pennsylvania Dutch dressing a more layered sweetness. The reduced water preserves its pourable, hot-vinaigrette texture.
General rule: 1 cup (250 ml) sugar ≈ 3/4 cup (180 ml) maple syrup; reduce liquids by 45–60 ml per cup of syrup and lower oven by 15 °C. Substitution calculator →