Balsamic sauce is an indispensable attribute of Italian cuisine, it is called the king of sauces, as it can magically transform the taste of salads, meat, fish and even desserts. The sauce got its name "balsamic" for its healing, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
The history of balsamic sauce
Balsamic sauce (balsamic) is a valuable dark brown food sauce with a sweet and sour taste, which is made from balsamic vinegar. Traditionally, this vinegar was made in the small Italian town of Modena.
Balsamic is made from some varieties of white grapes, which after pressing are stored in barrels of their special types of wood. Such vinegar can ripen from 12 to 25 years. As it evaporates, the vinegar is poured into smaller barrels.
The name "balsamic" vinegar acquired due to the fact that it was originally used in medicine to treat wounds, and was also recommended as a remedy for the plague.
At the moment, no good European restaurant is complete without balsamic sauce, which can add flavor to both meat, fish and sweet dishes.
Classic balsamic sauce
To make this savory sauce, you will need the following ingredients:
- 100 ml of balsamic vinegar;
- 1 tbsp. Sahara;
- carnation - 4 pcs.;
- 1 tsp. cinnamon.
Pour balsamic vinegar and granulated sugar into a small enamel saucepan, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Add spices (cloves and cinnamon). If you do not like the aroma of cinnamon and cloves, then you can prepare balsamic without spices.
After bringing the sauce to a boil, reduce heat to low. On such a low heat, the sauce will evaporate until thick, within 30-40 minutes. During this time, the amount of sauce will decrease by 2 times. The balsamic sauce will look like liquid honey in appearance.
Strain the finished balsamic sauce and cool.
Creamy balsamic sauce
You will need:
- 2 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar;
- 2 tbsp. l. butter;
- 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- onions - ½ pcs.;
- 50 g parmesan;
- 1 tbsp. cream.
Wash, peel and chop onions with a blender. Pour a mixture of olive and butter into a frying pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Add cream and bring to a boil over low heat.
Now you can pour balsamic vinegar into the pan and after a couple of minutes the pan must be removed from the stove. Finely grate the Parmesan and stir in the sauce. The spicy balsamic sauce is ready. The sauce prepared according to this recipe is perfect with meat, poultry, pasta and vegetables.
Balsamic cream sauce
The sauce prepared according to this recipe is intended for real gourmets. The cream sauce is surprisingly versatile and goes well with appetizers, salads, fish and meat dishes, desserts and fruits. You will need:
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
Preparing such a cream sauce is not at all difficult; you need to boil the vinegar 2-3 times. Pour balsamic vinegar into a saucepan, make a mark to indicate the starting level. Bring the balsamic to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over very low heat. Watch the markings on the pan.
To check if the sauce is ready, dip a spoon into the saucepan and then lift it up. If there is a thick liquid behind the spoon, then the balsamic cream sauce is completely ready.
