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On The
Menu
Cooking with
balsamic vinegar.
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34
August 9 • 2012
I
Italy, is the most popular kind. Like
wine vinegar, it is made from grapes.
Unlike wine vinegar, it's not made
from wine.
Grape "pressings" are boiled, and a
"mother" or starter of balsamic vin-
egar is added. The vinegar is then put
into wood barrels to age a
minimum of 12 years. As
it ages and evaporates, it
is transferred to different
barrels of different woods
until it is of the perfect
consistency and flavor.
You can pay $3 for a
bottle of balsamic -vinegar
or $150. The usual rule of
thumb: The older the vin-
egar, the more expensive.
The most expensive vin-
egars are seldom used for
cooking. Rather, they are
a garnish to be used spar-
ingly as a special treat. And because
all vinegar concentrates as it evapo-
rates, mere drops of really expensive
balsamic deliver a flavor punch to any
foods they touch.
It's important to note that many of
the cheaper vinegars are colored and
flavored artificially and may include
sulfites, so look at labels for the best
of the moderately priced vinegars.
They should include the words "Aceto
Balsamico Tradizionale" somewhere
on the bottle for true "traditional" bal-
samic vinegar.CI
WHITEFISH WITH WHITE
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
SAUCE
Prepare fish: Preheat oven to 425
degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet
with foil, and spray the foil well with
nonstick cooking spray. Arrange
the fish fillets on the baking sheet.
Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Set aside.
love balsamic vinegar. It has about
14 calories per tablespoon, with no
fat and very low sodium levels and
is the one condiment included on every
diet. It tastes gourmet (even the cheap
stuff), and when reduced, it turns into
a rich, sweet glaze that can be served
drizzled over everything
from fresh or poached fruit
to salad to pasta to bruschet-
ta. And because the flavor is
not as tart as other vinegars,
less oil is needed to temper
the acid.
So, on this week's menu,
we're cooking with balsam-
ic vinegar. You won't be sick
of the stuff when dinner
is through; this versatile
ingredient adds a different
flavor to every recipe.
In my world, balsamic
vinegar wasn't an option
until about 25 years ago. Unlike my
daughter, I didn't grow up with a cruet
of balsamic vinegar on the table at
dinner. Today, it's practically as ubiq-
uitous as ketchup.
Many people ask me about bal-
samic vinegar. Is it wine vinegar? Is it
fermented in balsam-wood barrels?
Where has it been all my life?
First made in (you guessed it!) Italy,
balsamic vinegar hasn't been around
as long as other vinegars — just
about a millennium, in fact. Today,
balsamic vinegar from Modena,
Pureed potatoes are a nice
accompaniment.
Fish:
6 boneless whitefish fillets
(about 11/2 lbs., skin on)
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 /3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup white wine, any variety
3 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp. drained capers
Prepare sauce: Heat oil in a large
skillet over medium-high heat. Add
the garlic to the pan. Add the remain-
ing ingredients, and bring to a boil.
Cook until the sauce is reduced and
thickened.
While the sauce is cooking, bake
the fish for 10 minutes. Remove to
individual serving dishes, and serve
the fish with the sauce spooned over.
Makes 6 servings.