Category Archives: balsamic vinegar

halloumi, courgette and aubergine with tomato vinaigrette

Posted by Gary in aubergine, balsamic vinegar, courgettes, halloumi and tagged with

halloumi, courgette and aubergine with tomato vinaigrette

I was recently sent some recipes by Ocado written by Sophie Michell. Apparently they’re under the banner of “Tweet Yourself Thin”. I’m not entirely sure I got the concept of being tweeted recipes every day but I had halloumi, courgette and aubergine to use up so it hit me at the right time. And it’s refreshing, zingy and tasty. It’s intended to be a lunch dish but I added a wedge of baked polenta to pad it out a bit.

Halloumi, courgette and aubergine with tomato vinaigrette (serves 2):

250g halloumi

2 courgettes

2 medium aubergines

For the dressing:

2 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled

2 cloves garlic, minced

75ml extra virgin olive oil

25ml balsamic vinegar

1 pinch of caster sugar

1 tsbp of chopped fresh basil

  1. Slice the halloumi, aubergine and courgette into even slices. Heat a large griddle pan and griddle the veg on both sides until nicely charred.
  2. Blitz the dressing ingredients together and season to taste.
  3. When the veg is done, add the halloumi for 30 secs each side until slightly charred and warm. Serve immediately dressed with the vinaigrette and a splash more balsamic.

seriously good pasta bake

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, basil, chorizo, courgettes, pasta, tomato and tagged with

seriously good cherry tomato and balsamic vinegar pasta bake

If you’re a regular reader of this blog you might notice I do a lot of things “from scratch” (I really hate that phrase, like a badge of snobbish one-upmanship), because I enjoy it and I like knowing what goes into my dinner. In my time of course I’ve used pasta sauces and the like, and they range from OK to pretty good to truly vomit-inducing (usually ones that involve mascarpone).

seriously good pasta sauceI wouldn’t usually blog about such a jar but I happened to use a Seriously Good pasta sauce. These are Gordon Ramsay-devised with a 10p donation to Comic Relief for each jar sold. And no, Gordon doesn’t get a penny. There’s a bunch of flavours, and the one I used happened to be cherry tomato & balsamic. Peering over the ingredients list on the label is very surprising: you can pronounce everything. And I can buy all of them in any supermarket. That’s very reassuring.

I chucked it in a pasta bake with some chorizo and courgette, and it was lovely. Well worth a try – certainly if you find it on promotion, as it was in my local Sainsbury’s. At least bask in the glow of making a small donation to a good cause :-)

Seriously good pasta bake (serves 4):

400g fusilli

100g chorizo, roughly diced

2 large courgettes

1 jar Seriously Good cherry tomato and balsamic sauce

Cheddar cheese

Some basil leaves, shredded

Splash of balsamic vinegar

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Get a pan of salted water on to boil and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Get on with the rest of the recipe and when ready, drain until needed.
  3. In a large oven-proof pan, heat a little oil and add the chorizo. Cook briefly until it starts to colour on all sides, then add the courgette.
  4. Continue to fry for 3-4 minutes, tossing frequently so the courgette gets coated in the rich chorizo juices and is starting to turn tender.
  5. Add the sauce, then refill the jar half-full with water. Sloosh it around to gather up the dregs of the sauce and pour into the pan. Bring up to the boil and then add the drained pasta. Make sure everything is well-mixed and pop into an oven for ten minutes, or until the tops of the pasta sticking out are starting to turn dark-brown.
  6. Scatter the basil over the top, grate some cheddar over and sprinkle with balsamic. Grind a little black pepper on top and a swirl of your best extra virgin olive oil, then return to the oven for a further minute or two, until the cheese has melted. Serve piping hot.

roast balsamic potatoes and onions

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, onion, potatoes and tagged with

roast balsamic potatoes and onions

Another roast potato recipe for the repertoire. These are from Jamie at Home. But these are very different, perfect for a barbecue and a lovely, smoky, intoxicating flavour. You need to use a great big whack of balsamic and it’s going to get cooked the hell out of it, so use the cheapest you can. Watch out when you open the oven early on, the acrid whiff of boiling vinegar can really catch in the back of the throat. It’s a dead good recipe though, and a pleasant change from normal potatoes.

Roast balsamic potatoes and onions (serves 8):

1.5kg new potatoes, chopped into chunks

3 red onions, peeled and quartered

4 cloves of garlic, bashed

2 sprigs of thyme

150ml balsamic vinegar

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bring some potatoes to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes.
  2. While the potatoes drain leave a little oil in a baking tray with the thyme and garlic in the oven to get warm. When your potatoes have drained add them to the baking tray with the onions. Drown in balsamic.
  3. Roast for about 45 minutes, tossing every so often to coat all well. Season before serving.

balsamic chicken with roasted new potatoes

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, chicken, food, paprika, potatoes

balsamic chicken with sweet and sour peppers and roasted new potatoes

I was keen to try out some Merchant Gourmet balsamic syrup I’d got hold of and chicken skewers seemed like just the thing. I marinated them for an hour and grilled them on each side. Unfortunately they were a little overdone and tough. It didn’t lend a lot of taste to the meat either – perhaps I should’ve basted again while cooking. A bit disappointing.

One the potatoes however it was smash – sweet and sharp, just the job.

(Served here with sweet and sour peppers)

Balsamic chicken with roasted new potatoes:

For the chicken:

2 chicken breasts, sliced

2 tablespoons Merchant Gourmet balsamic syrup

For the potatoes:

500g new potatoes

1 garlic clove, bashed

Couple of tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Merchant Gourmet balsamic syrup

  1. Marinate the chicken breasts in the syrup for at least an hour.
  2. Parboil the potatoes for ten minutes until knife tender. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  3. Squish the potatoes slightly with the end of a rolling pin to open them up. Drizzle the potatoes in oil, season well with sea salt and coat with balsamic syrup. Place into the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until crisp.
  4. Season the chicken and place under a hot grill. Cook on both sides until done. Serve with potatoes and sweet and sour peppers.

balsamic vinegar

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, ingredients

balsamic vinegar

After the very successful chicken with chickpeas finished with balsamic vinegar, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about one of my favourite ingredients. I don’t remember hearing much about it pre-Jamie (late 90s) – though I suspect Sophie Grigson mentioned it as it’s very her. I definitely can’t imagine a larder without it now though; it’s a permanent staple in my house and swiftly restocked if I look like running out. I keep two varieties in the pantry: an everyman cheap bottle to go in sauces and stews where it’s going to cook for a long time, and more expensive one that I use as a dressing or finishing touch to a dish. That’s the one pictured above and it’s about £11 a bottle. It sounds expensive – and it is – but if you break it down it lasts me about nine months and in relation to the pleasure that this sticky, smoky, sweet, sharp liquid brings it’s terrific value for money.

Vinegar is generally made from fermenting something; barley for malt vinegar, wine for wine vinegar and so on. Balsamic is made from reduced grape juice, hence giving it it’s distinct and sought-after rich fruitiness. It’s widely accepted that the best is from Modena, so look for that for your first indicator that it’s good. The second stage is the wording. The phrase Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale is protected, meaning that’s the very best stuff and should be the one you’re looking for. Thirdly, look for the amount of aging. The longer it’s been aged, the more developed the flavour.

What to do with it? As a purist the very best I can do with it is to suspend a little in some excellent extra virgin olive oil, then dunk some fresh bread into the mix to soak up the rich blend. The oil will spread over the tongue, the sweetness will rush over it and be followed by the tangy edge that really makes it. Like good wine tasting, you pick up different fruited and herbal notes in different vinegars.

Beyond that, I think balsamic vinegar works well whenever you have something deep and sweet, often that’s a little spicy and been cooking a while. It’s natural friends are tomatoes and other mediterranean veg. Try sprinkling some over some griddled courgette, or paired with the classic insalata caprese. Or a whiz over a bolognese just before serving. It’s something that adds one final dimension or a touch of richness to a uniform dish.

It’s a superb condiment, and I certainly never leave it far from my pan. Here’s a few of my favourite things to do with it:

Insalata caprese

Sausage and tomato bake

Strawberry & rocket salad

chicken with chickpeas

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, chicken, chickpeas, food, peppers and tagged with

chicken with chickpeas

Yes, another recipe from Jamie Oliver’s book Jamie’s America. This one is a rich, moist chicken breast over a hearty and fiery chickpea stew. It sounds peasanty – and it is – but like most peasant foods is earthy and satisfying, and dead easy. I’ve used chicken breast with skin on as I want to give it time in the oven, and leaving the skin on retains moisture by allowing fat to drizzle through the meat. This prevents dry ‘orrible flesh. I’ve used tinned chickpeas ‘cos let’s be honest – who wants to soak chickpeas overnight?

The chicken breast was left to marinate before I went out for work in a mashed up blend of parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Back from work a few hours later and it’s the turn of the chickpea. I sweat down an onion, two cloves of garlic and some paprika until soft, and then add four diced tomatoes, half a jar of sweet peppers and a tin of drained chickpeas.

While that simmers I turn my attention back to the chicken. I put it skin-side down on a hot griddle until dark lines appear, then turn 30 degrees to get that fancy criss-cross appear. When there’s more lines I turn them over and put the whole thing in a 200C oven for about 8 minutes. While that continues I look back over the chickpea stew, and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar. The chicken looks done now so I bring the chicken out to rest for a couple of minutes, to let all those tasty juices flow back through the breast.

To serve I pile some chickpeas up, top it with sliced chicken breast and few torn basil leaves over. At the last minute I reckon a drizzle of balsamic vinegar will help here, so I get out my best to sprinkle over. It goes really nice with the juicy chicken and peppery chickpeas. It’s a really tasty dinner and fairly easy too. I’ll be seeing this one on my plate again!

tomato and shallot salad

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, shallot, tomato

tomato and shallot salad (with an pancetta omelette)

I made another omelette (though with pancetta instead of chorizo this time, all smoky and perfumed) and wanted some sort of side salad to balance it out. I hit upon the idea of juicy tomatoes paired with sharp raw shallot. I didn’t want the onion too raw so I allowed them to break down a little in vinegar for a little while to take the edge. I used a combination of vinegars here, the rice one for a subtle acidity without too strong a flavour to itself, and balsamic for a sweet richness. The harsh onions paired with sweet tomatoes hit all the right buttons as a side to a rich dinner.

Tomato and shallot salad:

2 tomatoes, sliced

4 shallots, sliced

1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  1. Place the shallots in a bowl and cover with the rice vinegar. Allow to marinate for 20 – 30 minutes to tenderise.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season to taste.

strawberry rocket salad

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, mozzarella, prosciutto, rocket, strawberry

strawberry rocket salad with prosciutto and mozzarella

What a Summer stunner. The marvellous Simon had made this for us the previous week and it was fantastic, so I had to have a go myself. It originates from this month’s Waitrose magazine.

It kinda shouldn’t work, but when you load your fork with a little of everything –  crunchy shallot, bitter rocket, salty prosciutto, sweet strawberry, soft mozzarella and tangy balsamic dressing – it explodes in the mouth for a perfect combination.

Strawberry rocket salad:

450g strawberries, hulled and sliced

10 slices of prosciutto

100g rocket

200g buffalo mozzarella, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 shallots, peeled and sliced

For the balsamic dressing:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

black pepper

  1. Whisk the vinegar, oil and plenty of pepper together in a large bowl.
  2. Toss the strawberries, shallots and rocket leaves with the dressing.
  3. Arrange the ham and cheese on the plates, then spoon some salad over the top.

insalata caprese

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, mozzarella, tomato

insalata caprese

My wife and I adore this salad. I’m not sure when we first had it but I strongly recall dining on this one sun-drenched afternoon on the shores of Lake Como. I suspect every time thereafter I’m trying to recapture that little bit of sunshine.

As with many of my favourites, it celebrates and unites it’s ingredients, sumultaneously making the most of them and allowing each to sing. It can’t really be called a recipe, it’s just sliced tomatoes (room-temperature), torn up mozzarella, basil leaves, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. But it’s the choice of components that makes this; you’ve got to have the ripest, juiciest tomatoes; the milkiest, most tender mozzarella; peppery basil; and sweet-sharp vinegar. For me it’s the vinegar that completes the dish. The one I tend to use is frighteningly expensive, but pours like syrup and tastes divine.

No matter what time of year it is, this is summer.

sausages and tomatoes

Posted by Gary in balsamic vinegar, food, sausages, tomato and tagged with


Sorry about the rubbish name for it, but that’s almost all it is! It’s a Jamie Oliver recipe that’s a marvel for taking on the leftovers and gluts from the garden. My tomato plants have been kind to me this year; now I have the remainders to use up and this is just the thing.

Any tomatoes to hand get chucked in a nice deep roasting tray in a hot oven with a splash of oil, a nice sprig of rosemary (thank you window box), and a healthy swig of cheap balsamic vinegar – about half a bottle. It stays in the oven, filling the house with the slightly accrid whiff of boiling vinegar. It’s worth it though, as the flavour mellows, sweetens and starts to break the tomatoes down. After about half an hour the skins will blister and burst, and you can remove them. It’s a bit fiddly, and I find using some tongs can help to yank them off.
Once the skins are off sausages can go in. Any that you like will do the job. After another 20 mins the sausages should’ve browned, so give ‘em a turn. When they’re browned, we’re good to go. Try the broth – you might want to add some seasoning or even a pinch of sugar.
Dish it up, and serve with some bread to mop up all the juice. One day I mean to make this, but then sieve and reheat the sauce to serve with perhaps some lamb leg steaks.