Answer to Wednesday Trivia: This is aged 12 to 25 years and can cost $100.00 to $400.00 dollars for a small bottle. Answer: Balsamic Vinegar. Way to go Clayton James Cole! You knew the correct answer! The rich, slightly sweet flavor of balsamic vinegar readily lends itself to vinaigrette dressings, gourmet sauces, and brings out the sweetness of fresh fruits such as raspberries, strawberries, and peaches. Its flavor and complex fragrance is exalted over its lowly cousin, red wine vinegar, just as red wine vinegar leaps ahead of white vinegar. Before delving into a myriad of balsamic vinegar recipes, learn a little bit more about it and how to use it. What is balsamic vinegar? How does a lowly vinegar come to reap such praise? As far back as 900 years ago, vintners in the Modena, Italy region were making balsamic vinegar which was taken as a tonic and bestowed as a mark of favor to those of importance. Although it is considered a wine vinegar, it is not a wine vinegar at all. It is not made from wine, but from grape pressings that have never been permitted to ferment into wine. Sweet white Trebbiano grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup and then aged under rigid restrictions. The syrup is placed into oaken kegs, along with a vinegar mother, and begins the aging process. Over the years it graduates to smaller and smaller kegs made of chestnut, cherrywood, ash, mulberry, and juniper until it is ready for sale. All of these woods progressively add character to the vinegar. As it ages, moisture evaporates out, further thickening the vinegar and concentrating the flavor. Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive. Luckily, a little balsamic vinegar goes a long way, much like saffron. 5 Simple Ways to Use Balsamic Vinegar If the only time you think of pulling that jar of balsamic out of the cupboard is when its time to make a salad, youre missing out. This sweet and tangy vinegar is one of my favorite secret ingredients, and Ive found all sorts of ways that its presence will perk up my everyday cooking. 1. To Finish Soups and Sauces: Balsamic and ripe summer tomatoes have a well-known affinity for one another. From that simple summer salad, its not too hard to make the leap to tomato-based soups and sauces. I add a splash of balsamic to these dishes at the very end of cooking to bring the flavors together. 2. In Braised Dishes: While balsamic added at the end of cooking adds a splash of brightness, using even a little balsamic as part of the liquid in a braise gives the whole dish a deep, rich, slightly sweet flavor, like this dish for braised French Onion Chicken or this one for braised spring radishes. Think of it like wine and add it along with the broth. 3. Reduced to a Syrup: I love reduced balsamic syrup drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Especially if strawberries are involved. If you have a very good old balsamic, then reducing it is often not necessary. But if youre working with a basic balsamic, throw a cup or so in a small saucepan with some sugar. A stick of cinnamon can also be nice. Let it reduce until syrupy, then chill before using. 4. For Marinating Meat and Tofu: With some sliced shallots and a dollop of mustard, balsamic is one of my favorite vinegars to use for marinating. Its great with steak and other read meats, but I also use it for tofu and large portabella mushrooms. 5. In Soda and Cocktails: Vinegar-based shrubs are having their day, for sure. Given its sweet character, balsamic has a very similar flavor profile and Ive used it in much the same way. You can dilute balsamic in soda water for a very grown-up fizzy drink. Do you have a balsamic recipe you would like to share?
Posted on: Thu, 17 Jul 2014 16:03:07 +0000
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