More and more people are interested in this dressing, but they are not that many people who really know how to use Balsamic Vinegar. Let’s see together what there is to know.
It is very important to know how to use Balsamic Vinegar, especially for all those people who enjoy cooking daily, but not only them. People who are passionate about cooking, if they were to ever dream of a particular ingredient or dressing that with just a few drops, can completely change a dish. Balsamic Vinegar is that ingredient.
Balsamic Vinegar, both Traditional DOP and IGP, is generally (and erroneously) only used in salads, but in reality its unique flavour is perfect in an infinite number of recipes.
The combinations and applications that you can make with Balsamic Vinegar are many.
Having a chef of the calibre of Massimo Bottura (famous owner of the restaurant Osteria Francescana) help us, let’s see some ways to make the best use of Balsamic Vinegar.
Index:
How to use Balsamic Vinegar: 5 foods to try it with!
We have already mentioned the fact that the most common use of Balsamic Vinegar is with salad. This is the simplest combination and is always excellent, but it is definitely not the only one possible. Dressing a dish with Balsamic Vinegar means practically giving it new life, discovering new flavours and fantastic contrasts, unthinkable if not through the use of this condiment with such characteristic notes. Here we see four foods that can be paired with Balsamic Vinegar. Let’s start with the most common after salad: meat. The taste of the meat, maybe cooked roast veal or grilled pork, fits perfectly with that of Balsamic Vinegar. Of course, Balsamic Vinegar should be put raw: a few drops of raw seasoning will be enough to give it a new taste. We then move on to the second proposal, fish.
There are many fish that blend perfectly with the taste of Balsamic Vinegar, among them we can find sea bream, sea bass, salmon, and swordfish. To better enhance the taste of all the ingredients, it is recommended to use Balsamic Vinegar in little seasoned recipes, that is when the fish has been cooked without the aid of dressings
Then we come to cheese. There are many people who love Balsamic Vinegar with cheese, in particular a well-aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Then we get to fruit. This is a slightly bolder match but loved by many. The advice here is not to exaggerate: small amounts of Balsamic Vinegar along with some strawberries can be enough to live a completely unique culinary experience. Finally, we come to the dessert: a perfect match with Balsamic Vinegar is ice cream, especially if artisanal and cream flavour. A few drops of Balsamic make ice cream a complete dessert with an exquisite flavor and taste! Advice? Use either a 12-year-old Traditional DOP Balsamic Vinegar on ice cream or, even better, one that has been aged for a period of 25 years.
The chef’s opinion: Massimo Bottura from the Osteria Francescana
Who better than the chef of the best restaurant in the world (based in Modena, by the way) knows how to use the flavor of Balsamic Vinegar at its best?
Well, I’d say very few, if no, people. Massimo Bottura, chef and owner of the Osteria Francescana, has repeatedly admitted loving Balsamic Vinegar. What he does with it is considered brave, but absolutely brilliant. The chef admitted that he adored Balsamic Vinegar with an omelet with caramelized onions, or with a berry crepe. He even admitted to loving a few drops in a glass of champagne or prosecco. And what does he think of Balsamic Vinegar with traditional salad? Mr. Bottura also approves of this use.
Few rules and a lot of charm: how to use Balsamic Vinegar
I would say that the the words chosen for the title of this last paragraph summarize the use of Balsamic Vinegar in cooking well.
Balsamic Vinegar is a condiment with a great character, able to make every dish unique, to enhance the flavors of foods, but also, potentially, to ruin a recipe in an instant. Its strong flavor and the craftsmanship with which it is prepared make it virtually impossible to define the right amount in advance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can therefore say that the only way to really use Balsamic Vinegar is by following your creativity, your palate and those few rules that the incredible Italian gastronomic tradition has handed down to us.