What to do with these special vinegars?

February 6, 2016 5:23 PM

So, my wife and I are not cooks. But for Christmas, we were given flavored balsamic vinegars: one each of blackberry ginger, dark chocolate, and strawberry. What is a good way for us to use these? Salad dressings? If so, what kind of salad goes well with chocolate vinegar? Or should we pour it over ice cream?
posted by maurreen to Food & Drink (19 answers total)

The strawberry vinegar might be worth a try as an olive oil/dijon mustard vinaigrette in a spinach or black kale salad with toasted walnuts (just throw them in a pan and watch carefully as you toast them over low heat) and crumbled blue cheese. The mustard will act as an emulsifier and hold the vinegar and oil in suspension.

A salad involving spinach, strawberrys, crumbled goat cheese (chevre) and slivered almonds (again, lightly toasted) would go nice with that chocolate vinegar, maybe.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:35 PM on February 6, 2016

Balsamic is excellent on strawberries.
posted by cecic at 5:36 PM on February 6, 2016 [4 favorites]

Any of these would pair really nicely with ripe but still firm avocado halves as a really simple salad/starter.
posted by Otter_Handler at 5:49 PM on February 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

you may have already seen this, but you're not the first to wonder what to do with chocolate balsamic vinegar.
(popcorn was one surprising answer there)
posted by andrewcooke at 5:52 PM on February 6, 2016

I would reduce these for sauces. The two fruit based balsamics would be excellent poured over pretty much anything (meat, roasted veggies, brussels sprouts, ice cream, etc.), but I would save the chocolate for ice cream or fruit.

We reduce balsamics all the time. Basically you just put the whole bottle in a saucepan and simmer until it's reduced to about half volume (or the viscosity of thin honey). Once it cools the viscosity will increase, so don't get it too thick while it's still hot. We let it get to the point where it coats the back of a spoon. It will keep in the fridge for weeks and is delicious!
posted by blurker at 6:03 PM on February 6, 2016 [2 favorites]

+1 Reduce for sauces. You can then use them over meat or cheese. (charcuterie board or on a pizza! I'm getting hungry....)
posted by St. Peepsburg at 6:10 PM on February 6, 2016

!!

Sorry, I was just excited that one of them is blackberry ginger.

I realize that your first sentence is that you and your wife are not cooks, so I'm not sure how useful you will find general recommendations on other flavors to pair it with. BUT, the blackberry ginger will pair well with citrus, especially lime, especially lime-infused olive oil. What to put it on? Take a few tablespoons of the blackberry ginger balsalmic, mix with a couple of squeezes of fresh lime juice, and use it to marinate chicken breasts before grilling or baking in the oven.

If you're vegetarian, the same could work as a marinade for seared tofu. Likewise, I have used the blackberry ginger (by itself) as a marinade for tempeh. If you want to do salad, throw it together with spinach, feta, cracked peppercorn, chopped pecans and/or some robust croutons.

The chocolate balsamic is less limiting than it sounds. I like it on steak and in chili.

Another vote for reducing a sauce.
posted by nightrecordings at 6:22 PM on February 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

These are tailor-made for making shrubs! You put just a titch of the flavored vinegar in cold water, club soda, ginger ale, or a variety of alcoholic cocktails. VERY REFRESHING for summer.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:53 PM on February 6, 2016 [5 favorites]

blackberry ginger

OP says there are 4, so i suspect that has a missing comma.
posted by andrewcooke at 7:32 PM on February 6, 2016

good on ice cream.
posted by Makwa at 7:57 PM on February 6, 2016

The blackberry ginger would be good to make sauce for pork chops.

The chocolate could go in a mole inspired sauce.
posted by Candleman at 8:16 PM on February 6, 2016

I have a chocolate vinegar and it's great just on fruit.
posted by FlyByDay at 8:19 PM on February 6, 2016

They're probably lovely on ice cream. You can also mix them with soda water to create a shrub.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:27 PM on February 6, 2016

I sell all of these at my work! The dark chocolate balsamic goes really well over spinach salads. You can drizzle it over ice cream/cheesecake, or on strawberries with a little bit of fresh cracked black pepper. I have customers who add it to mole sauce. You can also reduce it down and use it as a marinade for red meat.

The blackberry ginger balsamic, as mentioned in other comments, goes really well with pork. It's a good salad dressing, and you can also put it over ice cream. Same with the strawberry balsamic. All of the balsamics you got pair well with orange olive oil- I like the strawberry with basil olive oil, too.
posted by mollywas at 10:33 PM on February 6, 2016

I'm thinking a very special batch of pickled beets are in order (Jitterbug Perfume style).
posted by fairmettle at 3:25 AM on February 7, 2016

I didn't know that was called shrubs, absolutely came in to suggest having some in some 7-up and also on icecream, glad to see I am n-thing it.
posted by Iteki at 4:46 AM on February 7, 2016

I once made a salad almost identical to the one mandolin conspiracy mentioned in the first reply and it was INCREDIBLE. As is pouring any good balsamic vinegar over ice cream, or steak...you can't go wrong with either. As for the blackberry ginger flavor...my first thought was in a stir-fry, somehow? Since a little sweetness and a little acidity are both crucial. Maybe a blackberry-ginger-balsamic + miso glaze for salmon, or tofu?
posted by sparringnarwhal at 7:38 AM on February 7, 2016

Reduced, most of those would go really well over baked brie.

Nthing salad dressing.
posted by eleanna at 1:01 PM on February 7, 2016

Ohhhh, PUT IT ON ICE CREAM!!! This is one of my favorite ways to eat balsamic vinegar! Get a good vanilla bean ice cream and top with the vinegar. Simple, delicious.
posted by TurquoiseZebra at 3:20 PM on February 7, 2016