The goodness of balsamic vinegar is testified by the number of starred chefs who use it in their recipes. In this article we offer you many recipes created by top-level chefs, starting with Gordon Ramsey and Massimo Bottura.
For each recipe you will also find wine pairing advice from ArsWine.it; and if you want to try them, here you can buy Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP, in the gold and silver medal versions by Giusti – also great as a classy gift for your gourmet friends!
Gordon Ramsay, one of the most famous chefs in the world, uses it for marinating and in recipes for all tastes, such as the beef fillet glazed with Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP: the process consists of searing the fillet, preparing the glazing sauce and the final cooking in the oven. The result is a tender and flavorful beef fillet, enriched by the sweet and aromatic glaze. Once sliced and placed on a plate, it is accompanied by a selection of grilled vegetables or creamy mashed potatoes. The tender meat, combined with the sweet and aromatic taste of Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP, will guarantee an unprecedented palate experience.
Another incredible recipe from the British chef to try: the caramelized figs with balsamic vinegar, rosemary and ricotta! Watch the video!
For more inspiration from Gordon Ramsey, visit his recipe page.
ArsWine.it recommends pairing with…
… great wines, full-bodied and structured: Barolo, Brunello, Sagrantino or Chianti Classico:
· Luce - Brunello di Montalcino - Tenuta Luce
· Barolo DOCG Ginestra Casa Matè - Elio Grasso
· The 25 years edition of Luce della Vite, Toscana IGT by Frescobaldi –
· Sagrantino Di Montefalco DOCG 25 - Arnaldo Caprai
· Lamole Chianti Classico 2019 - I Fabbri
Massimo Bottura, Chef Patron of the Osteria Francescana , a three Michelin star and Michelin green star restaurant in the historic center of Modena, twice awarded as the best restaurant in the world by The World's 50 Best Restaurants, proposes a pasta alla Amatriciana in which balsamic vinegar (traditional extra-old Modena version) is used to degrease and flavor the onion. But here is the complete recipe:
Amatriciana pasta Modena style with balsamic vinegar by Massimo Bottura
Ingredients for 4 people:
• 500 g of rigate mezze maniche
• 230 g of pork guanciale aged at least 9 months
• 2 ramata onions
• 70 g of 30-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano
• 120 g of Pecorino Romano
• 6 San Marzano Tomatoes
• 320 g of tomato pulp
• Traditional extra old balsamic vinegar of Modena
For the preparation: cook the guanciale until crispy, remove the excess fat, then stew the onion in the remaining fat for 45 minutes. Add the Balsamic Vinegar, San Marzano tomatoes and pulp, cook until you get a thick sauce (about 30 minutes). Add part of the guanciale to the sauce. Meanwhile, you have cooked the pasta al dente – we recommend mezze maniche; drain and toss with the sauce and grated cheeses and serve adding at the end the crispy guanciale that you did not put in the sauce.
Pairings proposed by ArsWine.it:
Lazio and Abruzzo dispute the paternity of Amatriciana, whose recipe was indeed developed in Amatrice, a small town now in the province of Rieti (Lazio) but until 1927 in Abruzzo. So... they are both right! And we, to satisfy all palates, offer you excellent v from these two regionsmedium-bodied red wines and an organic rosé:
· 200 Years Rosso DOP Roma Rosso Riserva - Divina Provvidenza – running out!
· Ule Syrah IGT Lazio – Federici
· From La Casa dei Cini in Umbria: Malandrino IGT
· Ventù - Organic Umbria IGT Rosato from La Casa dei Cini
· Cabernet Franc Linea Ars Magna IGP by Omina Romana
· Brecciaro Ciliegiolo di Narni IGT, producer Leonardo Bussoletti
Other tasty recipes with balsamic vinegar recommended by ArsWine.it
Duck breast with balsamic vinegar with celeriac purée and baby carrots
Daniele Arzilli, Executive Chef of the Park Hotel Marinetta in Marina di Bibbona, presents this elegant and balanced dish, where the balsamic vinegar enhances the richness of the duck and the sweetness of the vegetables.
Ingredients for 2 people:
· Fresh duck breast 250 gr.
· Garlic 2 cloves
· Rosemary 1 sprig
· Thyme 1 sprig
· Balsamic vinegar of Modena DOP 50 ml
· Tuscan honey 20 gr.
· Vegetable broth 50 gr.
· Celeriac 100 gr.
· Potatoes 60 gr.
· Baby carrots 100 gr.
· Extra virgin olive oil 50 ml
· Butter 30 gr
· Salt and pepper
Preparation: First, remove the excess fat from the duck breast and make crosswise cuts on the skin. Place the meat in a container and let it marinate for three hours with extra virgin olive oil, a modest amount of salt and pepper, and the available aromatic herbs. Cover the container with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.
Clean the celeriac and potatoes, cut them into small cubes to ensure even and quick cooking. Boil them until fully cooked, then drain and blend everything with an immersion blender, adding salt, pepper, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The baby carrots should be peeled gently, keeping the green tuft intact. Blanch them in salted water for about four minutes, then drain and sauté them in a pan with butter and a clove of garlic.
Now it's the duck breast's turn: heat a non-stick pan with oil, garlic, and aromatic herbs; add the meat, after draining it from the marinade, starting to brown it on the skin side. After about three minutes, turn the duck breast and continue cooking, adding vegetable broth if necessary. When the meat reaches the desired doneness, transfer it to a plate to rest.
After removing the meat, prepare the sauce in the same pan: add honey and balsamic vinegar, let it deglaze and continue cooking until you get a sauce with a creamy consistency.
It's plating time!
Put the celery root purée on the bottom of the plate with a spoon, lay the duck breast on top of it, the glazed baby carrots, and finally the balsamic vinegar sauce.
Pairings recommended by ArsWine.it:
The duck meat is succulent and rich, the balsamic vinegar adds a sweet and complex note; we therefore recommend choosing wines with vigorous tannins and good structure, perhaps with hints of ripe fruit or spices. Here you find a selection of some of the best wines offered by ArsWine.it to accompany this truly special dish:
· Luce - Brunello di Montalcino - Tenuta Luce
· Barolo DOCG Ginestra Casa Matè - Elio Grasso
· Mater Matuta Lazio Rosso IGT - Casale del Giglio
· 25th anniversary edition of Luce della Vite - Toscana IGT Frescobaldi
· The Repertorio Aglianico del Vulture D.O.C - Cantine del Notaio -
Besides important wines like Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino, we suggest a couple of less demanding but equally valid choices with excellent quality/price ratio:
· Montefalco Rosso - Clivo del Cardinale
· Merlot IGP Divina Provvidenza
Tasty snacks with balsamic vinegar caviar
Follow this procedure to make small balsamic vinegar pearls, ideal for garnishing and accompanying many dishes with a touch of class and flavor!
Take 100 ml of balsamic vinegar of Modena IGP, 1 gr of agar agar and 300 ml of sunflower seed oil.
Pour the seed oil into a tall, narrow container and place it in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Bring the vinegar and agar agar to a boil in a small saucepan. Using a dropper, drop the vinegar into the cold oil.
At the end, strain the vinegar caviar from the oil using a fine sieve. Store it in an airtight container.
A special recipe with balsamic vinegar caviar?!? Here it is!!!
Parmigiano, beetroot, and balsamic vinegar
Chef Stefano Sforza from the Opera Restaurant in Turin https://operatorino.it/lo-chef/ has created a skillful play of textures and contrasts, with the balsamic linking the saltiness of the Parmigiano to the sweetness of the beetroot. Attention: you will need molds!
Ingredients and preparation (for about 20 snacks):
For the Parmigiano Reggiano panna cotta
· 100 ml of whole milk
· 100 gr. of fresh cream
· 200 gr. of Parmigiano Reggiano 18 months
· 4 gr. of agar agar
Grate the Parmigiano and combine it with the other ingredients in a small pot. Bring everything to a boil, making sure to stir to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and pour into small molds (silicone molds recommended) shaped like hemispheres. Freeze them, then thaw them on a tray at room temperature.
For the Parmigiano Reggiano brisée dough
· 200 g of 00 flour
· 120 g of cold butter
· 60 g of 18-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano
· 1 egg
· 50 ml of cold water
· 2 g of salt
Sift the flour and pour it into a stand mixer with salt and butter, mixing at the lowest speed; when it starts to come together, add the Parmigiano, egg, and cold water. Continue mixing until you get a smooth and compact dough, then form it into a ball: wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes. Then roll it out with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1-2 mm between two sheets of parchment paper and cut out flower shapes with a cutter. Place an inverted silicone half-sphere mold on top. Bake at 160 °C for 12 minutes.
For the beetroot
· 1 beetroot
· 2 g of salt
· 10 ml of white wine vinegar
Wash the beetroot thoroughly and slice it very thinly, then cut out star shapes using a star-shaped cutter. Juice all the scraps, strain, add salt and vinegar to the juice, and marinate the stars for at least an hour.
For the balsamic vinegar caviar
· 100 ml of Modena IGP balsamic vinegar
· 1 g of agar agar
· 300 ml of sunflower seed oil
Pour the seed oil into a tall, narrow container and place it in the freezer for at least 3-4 hours. Bring the vinegar and agar agar to a boil in a small saucepan. Using a dropper, drop the vinegar into the cold oil.
At the end, strain the vinegar caviar from the oil using a fine sieve. Store it in an airtight container.
Dish composition
Place a panna cotta inside each little brisée pastry flower. Lay on top the slightly dried beetroot star and complete with 3-4 balsamic vinegar caviar pearls.
ArsWine.it recommends these pairings:
The young age of the Parmigiano Reggiano used in the recipe (18 months) suggests dry sparkling wines or fresh whites, even sparkling; the combination with beetroot and the presence of balsamic vinegar allows pairing the dish very well also with wines that balance the earthy sweetness of the beet with the saltiness and structure of the cheese. So aromatic and structured white wines like Vermentino or Friulano, or medium-bodied red wines like a Chianti or a young Pinot Nero:
· Frizzi Pop from Tenuta L'Armonia, white Pét-Nat wine – naturally sparkling
· Franciacorta DOCG Brùt di Contadi Castaldi - a great classic
· the 2018 vintage of Ferrari Perlé - Trento DOC
· Chianti "PURO" D.O.C.G BIO - Fattoria Lavacchio
· Rosso Puro Frizzante, organic, Pèt-Nat from Ciliegiolo - Fattoria Lavacchio
· Pinot Nero Burggraefler
Royal scampi marinated with salty orange sorbet and balsamic vinegar
The Chef Giuseppe Gatto – From Lucrezia, Trebisacce – offers a refined appetizer that combines sea, citrus, and balsamic in perfect balance.
For 4 people you need 4 royal scampi and 6 oranges, salt, oil and, of course, balsamic vinegar – Gatto uses the traditional Modena or Reggio Emilia DOP.
Shell the scampi leaving the head attached, marinate them in plenty of Evo oil and a pinch of salt at 4 degrees, for 8 hours.
Squeeze the oranges and freeze the juice in small cubes.
Blend the cubes emulsifying with salt, EVO oil, and a few pieces of peel.
Dry the scampi from the marinade, lay them on the plate where you previously spread a spoonful of sorbet; season with a few drops of balsamic vinegar and enjoy your meal!
Wine pairings suggested by ArsWine.it:
For scampi, the winning choice is a dry, fresh, and savory white wine, a rosé, or a sparkling wine. For this recipe, with marinated scampi, we recommend:
· Ma’Rosa, Rosé Aglianico by Nifo
· The multi-awarded Maìa, the Vermentino di Gallura DOCG Superiore di Siddura
· the Franciacorta DOCG Brùt di Contadi Castaldi - a great classic
· the GewüGewurztraminer by Elena Walch
· A Pét-Nat white wine – naturally sparkling: Frizzi Pop from Tenuta L'Armonia
