whole citrus vinaigrette

original recipe courtesy michael chiarello, 2006

yield 3 cups

3 lemons
2 navel oranges
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups pure olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

cut off and discard the stem ends of 2 lemons and 1 orange. cut into quarters, cut out the core, and remove seed. place in a blender.

squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon and orange; add to the blender with the shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper. pulse and then blend the fruit until as smooth as possible.

with the machine running, add the olive oil slowly in a thin, steady stream. the vinaigrette will be thick like a mayonnaise. if it is too thick, with the machine still on, thin with a little hot water.

taste for seasoning. cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. if the vinaigrette separates, return it to the blender and blend until smooth again.