Really. What can't you use balsamic vinegar for? In recent years I've become a little obsessed with this and the more I learn about it, the more I see how versatile this fermented grape nectar really is.
Here are my top 10 ways to utilize balsamic vinegar, in no particular order:
1. Salad dressing
2. Adding finishing flavor to roasted Brussels sprouts
3. Make a balsamic reduction to use with grilled meats (instructions below)
4. Balsamic reduction on a crostini appetizer
5. On a tomato basil salad (nothing says yum like basil and balsamic vinegar! ) )
6. Paired with garlic and olive oil for a steak marinade
10. And, if it had been appropriate to drink it, then I would! I may have had a sip (shh).
To make a balsamic reduction, put a cup of cheap balsamic vinegar in a pan and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat too low so that it has been bubble, but not a rolling boil. Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vinegar reduces to about 1/2 to 1/4 cup. When it starts to coat the pan, that's about the time you'll remove it from the heat.
If you prefer balsamic vinegar in its own natural state, you'll love balsamic reduction. Make a bundle and store it in the refrigerator to work with on all the abovementioned.
For many recipes, vinegar is the counterpoint of candy"goodness" and the"foil" of oil .
Vinegar is what great wines are if they die and what humans are said to be when they're too sour.
Vinegar is kind of a villain in the ingredient world, and it's far too often regarded as an evil requirement to balance the more pleasant ones.
Nonetheless, in fact, vinegar is the quiet hero, actually preserving foods and bringing dishes to life using their unmistakable power of sour.
I have my vinegar favorites. Among them are tarragon vinegar, which makes my Bearnaise Sauce better; sherry vinegar, and that I use in my hoisin-based Mongolian marinade; and balsamic vinegar, and that I use in dressings, sauces, and, well, just because.
Perhaps it's balsamic that really captivates my culinary imagination because its one of a very few vinegars (rice wine vinegar being the other notable) that is the best of both worlds. It's sweet and sour.
Ben had it directly, but I think he forgot about balsamic. A more than 40-year-old balsamic vinegar is just about as sweet as honey. It is SO sweet that it's often utilized in desserts and can be a delicious topping over vanilla ice cream.
So just what is balsamic vinegar? And why is it so dark?
Balsamic vinegar is an Old World product (traditionally created in Italy) from the Middle Ages. It is not made as many vinegars are from aged wine but rather from freshly squeezed grape juice (Trebbiano & Lambrusco varietals), which has been reduced by simmering and then aged over years in progressively smaller wooden casks (chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash) of many wood forms during its aging tenure.
The two most-notable locales (consortia) of production in Italy are Modena and Reggio Emilia.
The word"balsamic" is derived from the Latin balsamum, meaning"balsam-like," which refers to the restorative or curative properties of the balsam sapling.
There are three types/qualities of balsamic vinegar:
Authentic, traditional, artisan balsamic vinegar--the only type that may legally be described as Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in the EU. A lesser-quality, commercial-grade balsamic vinegar made in an industrial scale and often artificially colored and sterile. Condimento-grade goods, that are often a mix of the two above. So what does balsamic vinegar taste like?
True balsamic vinegar is rich, glossy, and profound inky brownish in color. It has a complex flavor that balances the natural sweet-and-sour elements of the cooked grape juices together with traces of wood from the casks. As each year of aging progresses, the sweetness and viscosity increase before a vinegar of 50 years is extremely syrupy, sticky and decadent. And as you can imagine, that care and aging has its own prices with small, one-to-two ounce bottles costing hundreds of dollars
Thankfully, these aged vinegars are so intense and complex that small is required to impact a dish. Drizzled over grilled steak, fish, shellfish, risotto, Parmesan cheese, or even fresh strawberries, an aged balsamic's sweetness and lingering taste is an amazing experience.
However, you don't have to spend that sort of money to get a similar thrill. There are some great balsamic vinegars available on the market that can be had for well under $10, such as Academia Barillas, which we carry at Nino's.
How is it utilized?
Three- to 12-year-old balsamic vinegars are generally utilized in salad dressings, creamy dips, marinades, sauces as well as after-dinner digestives. The dark color and tart, caramel-like taste of a traditional balsamic vinegar adds an intriguing twist to otherwise common recipes.
And so, what is white balsamic vinegar? And about the balsamic cremes and glazes that are on the shelves nowadays?
White balsamic vinegar blends white grape with white wine vinegar and is cooked at a low temperature to avoid any darkening. Some manufacturers age the vinegar in oak barrels while some others utilize stainless steel. White balsamic vinegar is often utilized in recipes where its sweet, milder flavor and neutral color is preferred within the darker variant. In addition, white balsamic vinegar has a more pungent aftertaste.
Balsamic cremes and glazes, on the other hand, are a rather new development on the balsamic scene. These products are (generally speaking) low-cost alternatives to the viscosity you would just get from a very-expensive, aged balsamic.
Young vinegar is sweetened, thickened and colored to resemble the taste and depth of a vinegar that is at least 25 years old. It is a viable alternative in bistro cuisine recipes, but you would likely never find it in any pantry of a 3-star restaurant.
Balsamic vinegar was first imported commercially into the United States in 1978 from Williams-Sonoma. Soon thereafterit was celebrated in fine restaurants and gourmet food shops, but it would be several years before it landed on supermarket shelves and at home kitchens.
Now, four decades after its introduction from the U.S., balsamic vinegar is found in every grocery store and even at many fast-food drive-through windows.
Even so, confusion remains about what balsamic vinegar is. That confusion undoubtedly stems from the fact that a lot of what is labeled"balsamic" bears no relation to the real thing. How did that happen? And with a dizzying number of varieties to select from, what's the best way to understand and appreciate the true flavor of balsamic vinegar?
A Little History
Italians have been making balsamic vinegar since Roman times, when its primary purposes were medicinal rather than culinary. Occasionallyit was used as a sweetener, or to enhance the flavor of savory foods. Production was Limited to the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia Romagna region.
Surprisingly, balsamic is made from wine, but rather from the unfiltered juice of freshly crushed white grapes, known as must (or mosto, in Italian). The must (such as the stalks, skin, and seeds) is boiled down, or reduced, to a syrupy liquid, which is then aged in wooden barrels. The barrels are stored in attics rather than wine cellars, because heat creates the right atmosphere for the essential fermentation.
As time passes, the vinegar is transferred into a collection of barrels of various woods (oak, cherry, chestnut, juniper, and others), picking up yeasts and other natural components from the woods as it matures and mellows. It is also frequently mixed with parts of older vinegars. All of these factors account for its incredible complexity of flavor. And, of course, age matters--the finest vinegars are aged for several years and even decades.
Purchasing Balsamic
Keep two things in mind when choosing balsamic vinegar: First, you get what you pay for, and secondly, mind the label. Authentic balsamics are made inside the Emilia Romagna and marked with one of two classifications: Traditional DOP (or, Tradizionale Denominazione di Origine Protetta) or IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta), that is sometimes translated as on labels as PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).
The production of DOP vinegars is strictly monitored. They need to be made with grapes from the Emilia Romagna area (usually Trebbiano or Lambrusco) and aged for at least 12 years. (Anything aged for 25 years of more is considered"extra old" and awarded a gold label.) These traditional vinegars sell for tens of thousands of dollars every bottle. If you can get your hands on one, treat it accordingly--in other words, then drop by drop. It's known as"liquid gold" for very good reason.
Think of it as a finishing touch rather than a recipe component (and never subject it into heat). Try out a few drops grilled or roasted meats, fish, or vegetables, or even on a cheese plate, or tossed with fresh tomatoes, peaches, figs, or melon. Drizzle it on sorbet, gelato, or panna cotta. You might have a spoonful as a digestive, as many Italians do.
IGP vinegars are somewhat more common, accounting for about 90 percent of the bottles currently made in the area. They are more accessibly priced, but not necessarily cheap. Their creation is monitored, but not as strictly as it is for DOP.
The grapes can come from anywhere in the world, as long as they are processed at Emilia Romagna and aged for at least 60 days. Use IGP vinegar sparingly in sauces and marinades, risottos, and vegetable dishes, or even from fruity or frozen desserts. Or try this trick: Mix a small amount into a dressing made with ordinary wine vinegar, which will punch up the flavor. You could toss IGP balsamic with raw onions and a pinch each of sugar and salt; let that sit for a little while, then try it with grilled meat or fish.
You might also try reducing a non-DOP vinegar to concentrate its flavor. Lidia Bastianich recommends making a balsamic reduction for drizzling over meats and vegetables, or as a glaze for roasts.
She combines a pint of IGP balsamic with honey and bay leaf, and then simmers it till it is a third of its original volume (for glaze) or a quarter (for a condiment). Refrigerated in an airtight container, this should keep indefinitely. This syrup to serve with chicken liver mousse is similar.
A third balsamic choice is known as condimento. The production of these vinegars is not tracked by the same consortium that authenticates DOP and IGP, but that doesn't mean that they are not worth looking for. There are intriguing options, including a few artisanal varieties made from the U.S. For the very best tasting vinegars, stick with these priced at $15 and up per jar, and pay close attention to the label, the color, and the depth. Avoid anything with additives such as sugar or caramel.
Which brings me to the last kind of balsamic vinegar: supermarket varieties, for lack of a better description. Anything sold for less than $10 a jar is very likely to be a cheap imitation of authentic balsamic, meaning a combination of cheap white wine vinegar and added sugars. These are balsamic vinegars in name only, with flavors that are one note, best described as cloying.
