Balsamic Vinegar

[ebrbetty]

Hi..I bought a bottle of very good balsamic and don't really know what to do with it, does anyone have any recipes they would like to share? I don't eat red meat, just chicken and fish

thanks very much

[tarnalberry]

there are a couple of recipes using balsamic on my long recipes thread for, I believe:

balsamic vinaigrette

marinated vegatables (you can use the same marinade on chicken)

sautees mushrooms

[ebrbetty]

thanks, i'm off to search for it

[lonewolf]

I'm not good at writing down measurements - I kind of throw things together based on taste, but I use balsamic vinegar in salad dressing and for marinating chicken. I think it would overpower most fish. Here's basically how I use it:

Salad Dressing

1 C Ex. Virgin Olive oil

1/4-1/3 C Balsamic Vinegar

Garlic powder to taste (or toss a minced garlic clove in)

Italian herbs (dry) to taste

Shake well, allow to stand for at least 20 minutes before using.

Chicken Marinade

1/2 C EV Olive oil

1/4 C Balsamic Vinegar

2-3 Tbs Lemon juice

Garlic powder or minced garlic clove

Salt - I just sprinkle some on

Pour marinade over chicken, let marinate for at least 30 minutes, then grill on barbecue. I use the marinade left in the bowl for vegies (zucchini, tomatoes, squash, peppers). Coat them with it and then toss them on the grill too. You can baste the chicken with the remaining marinade.

Note-this is about how much I use for 6 people, you might want to reduce the amount if you're cooking for fewer.

[ebrbetty]

thank you very much, sounds yummy!!

[queenofhearts]

If I get my hands on the really good stuff (which happens rarely since I'm on a budget) I use it in the simplest ways possible, because all by itself it's so wonderful. Homegrown tomatoes, balsamic & basil... that sort of thing. Or arugula.

Here's a wild one for you-- try drizzling a little on some really good ripe fruit like peaches or strawberries, with or without ice cream... this only works with the aged stuff that is rich & sweet...

If it's cheaper balsamic I'll use tons of it in cooking. I especially like it with chicken, in a marinade with lots of mustard, or to deglaze the pan when sauteing breasts. For a really luscious treat, sautee chicken with onions, remove from the pan, deglaze with balsamic, reduce it to a thickish "jam" texture, then throw in some heavy cream & reduce again. Yum, yum!

Leah

[gfp]

If I get my hands on the really good stuff (which happens rarely since I'm on a budget) I use it in the simplest ways possible, because all by itself it's so wonderful. Homegrown tomatoes, balsamic & basil... that sort of thing.

I gotta agree, if its real aged modena basalmic I want to taste the basalmic heck its not cheap.

However one dressing I do use it in is a honey vinegarette ....

I'm not one to measure and adjust for taste but basically olive oil and basalmic, a pinch of salt (should be dissolved in vinegar before adding oil) and a little whole grain mustard and a teaspoon of good honey.

Just use it on roquet/lambs lettuce etc. with some parmesan and tomatoes and a bit of fresh basel.