Oil and Vinegar cruets. The ideal Housewarming Gift of Balsamic Vinegar
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Practical
use of...
A
TRADITIONAL BALSAMIC VINEGAR Balsamic vinegar is docile but also
touchy. If you do not control it, you run the risk of ruining the dish.
It is a curious fact that no precise dose can be assigned. The reason is
that every batch of balsamic vinegar is highly individual - such is its
nature and such the desire of its makers. Therefore, before using
it, taste a drop on the tip of a spoon and judge its round flavor or its
cutting edge occasion by occasion. Once you have done this, you can decide
whether to use it on a veal escalope or on a nice fresh salad. Thus, its
use is not so much an application of a fixed formula as a use dictated by
the particular qualities of that particular vinegar at that particular moment.
However,
there are some rules or rather recommendations based on the centuries of
old traditions in and around balsamic vinegar. The most important to these
is that it should continue to follow the classical order of salt, balsamic
vinegar, oil.
The
fact that this vinegar is quite literally precious has had the negative
effect of its parsimonious use. In fact, a good rule of thumb is one teaspoon
per person. Special cooking situations will require the special ability-knowledge
of the cook to determine the correct amount.
When
balsamic vinegar is used in the cooking process, it should be added before
the dish is removed from the stove so that it has just the right amount
of time to flavor the food without losing its entire aroma in the cooking
process. When
the dish is to be "dressed" with balsamic vinegar, once the food
is on the serving dishes, add the vinegar immediately before serving. There
are two ways of doing this: pour the vinegar onto the serving dishes and
then add the food; or sprinkle the vinegar evenly over the food on the serving
dishes.
Balsamic
vinegar will continue to mature over time and therefore will possess different
taste characteristics at the various stages of this maturing process. When
it is over 50 years old it will begin to thicken and become overly aromatic.
This is wonderful from a natural point of view but somewhat problematic
from a culinary one. What to do? Continue to use it but as an after dinner
liqueur.
Keep
your balsamic vinegar in a glass container. Vinegar kept in a bottle needs
no particular care: stopper it adequately (it does not have to be sealed)
and keep it away from highly scented items.
INGREDIENTS
5 large artichokes
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tsp dry ground Oregano
½ tsp ground Cumin
¼ tsp ground Coriander
1 small dried Chili crushed
3 tsp wine Vinegar, may use aged balsamic
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Squeeze lemon juice into a large bowl of water and reserve.
2. Trim the artichokes, cutting off the stalks 2 inches from the base of each artichoke and removing the tough outer leaves. Then cut off the top quarter of the leaves from each and slice each one into quarters from top to base. Remove the furry choke with a small spoon. Place artichoke in the large bowl of acidulated water to prevent it from changing color.
3. Bring a large non-aluminum saucepan of water to a boil, add the artichokes and a teaspoon of salt and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Strain. Place the artichokes on cut side to drain while cooling.
4. Combine garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander and chili flakes in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and blend in the vinegar, beating constantly. Slowly pour in the olive oil to form an emulsion. This step can be done in a food processor.
5. Place artichokes in rows on a serving platter and pour vinaigrette over the top and leave to cool completely.
Serves 5
CHEF'S
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
As
prepared by Philip Mastin, CEC, chef at The Lodge at Smithgall Woods,
Helen, Georgia
1/4
cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup virgin olive oil
Add
the vinegars, mustard, sugar, herbs, salt, and pepper to processor
and combine. Slowly add, with processor running, the vegetable oil
and virgin olive oil.
1/4
cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup tablespoons olive oil
Mesclun salad mix or favorite greens, for accompaniment
Assortment of salad ingredients, such as cherry tomatoes, chopped
carrots, sliced red onion, chopped celery, diced cucumbers, walnuts
Blue cheese, for garnish
Beat
the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and
pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets,
whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top
jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Toss
a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired
salad ingredients, top with blue cheese and serve immediately. If
not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or
shaking again before use.
*If
using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar,
but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round
out the dressing.
GRILLED ASPARAGUS AND TOMATOES WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
12
ounces asparagus, trimmed
6 ripe tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon mustard
3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Heat
grill pan over medium high heat. In a large bowl toss asparagus
with olive oil and salt and pepper. Brush tomatoes with remaining
olive oil in bowl. Grill asparagus and tomatoes, separately until
tender but not falling apart.
In
a bowl combine garlic, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil
with a whisk or handblender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve grilled vegetables drizzled with vinaigrette.
ROMAINE
HEARTS WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE AND GARLIC CROSTINI
Prep
Time: 15 minutes. Cook Time: 3 minutes
8
slices day old crusty bread, cut on an angle
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Tapanade, (recipe follows)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling plus 1/2 cup
2 hearts romaine lettuce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Toast
bread in hot oven or under broiler. Rub toast with crushed garlic
top with tapanade (see below) and drizzle with extra-virgin olive
oil.
Place
vinegar in a bowl and whisk in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil in
a slow stream to combine. Add seasonings and pepper and whisk again
to distribute the herbs and spice throughout the dressing.
Quarter each romaine heart lengthwise and trim away core. Arrange
1/2 heart, 2 trimmed quarters, on each of 4 serving plates. Top
lettuce with 2 garlic toasts. Drizzle toasts and lettuce with 1/4
of the prepared dressing and serve. Yield: 4 servings
Tapanade:
1
cup pitted chopped kalamata olives
2 canned anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped
In
a small bowl combine the olives and anchovies.
HEIRLOOM
TOMATO PANZANELLA WITH CUCUMBER AND NIÇOISE OLIVES
(Adapted
from Equinox Restaurant, Washington)
Time:
15 minutes plus 30 minutes' resting
1
cup Kirby or English cucumber, cut in small dice
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
15 niçoise olives, pitted and chopped
1 cup of toasted bread cubes from a sourdough baguette or a loaf
of herbed bread
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup basil, cut in thin strips, plus 4 basil tops or sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 dozen assorted cherry or teardrop tomatoes, halved lengthwise.
1.
Combine cucumber, red onion, olives, bread cubes, vinegar, oil,
basil strips, salt and pepper, and mix well. Allow to rest for 30
minutes.
2.
Spoon salad mix onto four salad plates, making a circle on each.
Place tomato halves in center of each plate, and garnish with basil
tops.
Yield:
4 servings.
BALSAMIC GLAZED VEGETABLES
1
1/2 to 2 pounds of your choice of the following, or any combination
of: "baby" packaged fresh carrots, brussel sprouts, yellow
squash (you can also use broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
Place veggies in a pan with water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes. Remove lid and raise heat back up. Allow the water to boil away and the vinegar to reduce and glaze the veggies, about 5 to 7 minutes. When the vegetables are glazed, to a sweet, rich brown color add butter to the pan. Turn veggies to coat lightly with butter. Season with salt, pepper and serve. Garnish with parsley. For an optional glaze for the vegetables, substitute 1/4 melted butter and 1/4 cup honey for 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar. Follow method as listed.
CARAMELIZED PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD with BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
8
oz. Spring Lettuce leaves
2 pears Cored and thinly sliced
4 tbsp. Butter
½ cup Brown Sugar
4 oz. Crushed Walnuts
4 oz. Crumbled Gorgonzola
To
caramelize pears, melt butter in sauté pan. Add pear slices
and brown sugar. Cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cool.
In
a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, walnuts, gorgonzola and pears.
Toss with balsamic vinaigrette (recipe below).
Serves
4.
POACHED
SUMMER PEACHES WITH STILTON STRAWBERRY SALAD
Poached
Peaches:
4
ripe peaches
1 (16-ounce) bottle Beaume de Venise
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
Stilton Strawberry salad:
1 1/2 cups strawberries
3/4 cup walnuts
1 cup Stilton
Stilton crisp:
5 sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 ounces Stilton
Candied Walnuts, recipe follows
Balsamic Reduction, recipe follows
Begin
by poaching the peaches. Bring the Beaume de Venise, sugar, and
water to a boil. Add the peaches to the hot liquid. Cover the pot
with parchment paper and bring to a rolling boil. Remove pot from
heat and let the peaches sit in the hot liquid until it cools down.
Peel skins off and set aside. Dice the strawberries and place them
in a bowl. Toast the walnuts and chop into small pieces and add
them to the strawberries. Crumble the Stilton and
mix with the strawberries.
Preheat
the oven to 350 degrees F.
Carefully
place a phyllo sheet on a flat surface and lightly brush with the
melted butter. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place another
sheet of dough on top of the other and repeat process 5 times. Cut
the pastry in a long, 1-inch width triangle, place it on a silpat
or a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove
from the oven and sprinkle crumbled Stilton. Allow to cool on a
wire rack.
To
serve, slice the peaches in half and remove the pit. Place peaches
in center of 4 plates, scoop strawberry salad and place on top of
peaches. Drizzle the Balsamic Reduction, add a few Candied Walnuts
around plate, and top with Stilton crisps.
This
recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down
from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. We have not tested
this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot
make any representation as to the results.
Candied
walnuts:
1
cup walnuts
3/4 cup honey
Preheat
oven to 275 degrees F.
To
candy the walnuts, combine the honey with the walnuts, spread over
a
baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
Balsamic
reduction:
3
cups balsamic vinegar
Place
the Balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan, bring to a boil, and
allow
the vinegar to reduce to 3/4 of a cup. Remove from the heat and
set aside.
FRESH TOMATO SALAD
2
Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
½ sweet onion, chopped
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
4 oz. Crumbled gorgonzola
Balsamic vinegar
Virgin Olive Oil
Freshly ground salt and pepper
Arrange
tomato slices on a small platter. Sprinkle with chopped onion, basil,
and gorgonzola. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add
freshly ground salt and pepper according to taste.
