The greatest difference between the cooking of professionals and amateurs is unquestionably that of seasoning. Yes we have all manner of herbs and spices at our disposal these days but basically we’re talking salt, and pepper.. However, to my mind there is another seasoning on the front line, another fundamental ingredient that can transform a dish, yet it is one that gets so often over- looked, even by professionals- vinegar. If salt and pepper are the Father and the Son, then vinegar is without question the Holy Spirit.
For me vinegar is of paramount importance in a) balancing richness, b) balancing sweetness and c) counter-acting blandness. It adds savour, your tastebuds know it’s going to be good, from the smell alone it can make you salivate- think of unseasoned, plain chips and then with their obligatory dousing of malt vinegar- see what I mean!
As ever, quality is important. It need not be expensive, though the very best can cost between £5 and £10 ( though the price of aged balsamic can be astronomical)- as you will usually be using just a few drops this will equate to just a few pence each time you use it-good vinegar is an investment.
But which to use and when? From red and white wine vinegars and cider vinegar, to rice wine, sherry, balsamic and good old malt, there are literally dozens to choose from, so it’s best to stick to 2 or 3 that you will use regularly depending on your cooking style and what you like eating the most . My tastes are largely European, so beside my stove you will usually find a sherry vinegar, a red wine vinegar and a bottle of aged balsamic. Below are my thoughts on my favourites and their uses in dishes.
White wine vinegar- some use this as the vinegar base in a classic French vinaigrette( though I find red more punchy and forthright) it lends a clean acidity to dressings and can be used in place of red wine vinegar as a dressing for oysters: finely slice some onion tops, add to your white wine vinegar and finish with some cracked white pepper- this is really lovely and oysters are at absolute peak condition now ( I’m salivating just at the thought). Another two classical accompaniments to fish and shellfish are beurre blanc and hollandaise sauce. For the former finely chop a couple of shallots and add to about 4 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, slowly reduce until almost evaporated, add a teaspoon of cold water and whisk in, piece by piece, 150g of good unsalted butter. For hollandaise sauce, reduce a tablespoon of white wine vinegar with a small glass of dry white wine, a chopped shallot and crushed white peppercorns (say 6) until the volume has halved, add a couple of tablespoons of cold water. To this sauce base add 3 egg yolks and a pinch of salt, whisk in a pan over a very low heat, or in a metal bowl sat on a saucepan of simmering water, until the volume has trebled, then, off the heat, slowly pour in half a pack of melted, unsalted butter, adjust seasoning with cayenne/ salt/ lemon and serve, naughty but very, very nice. For a bearnaise sauce to serve with a grilled steak or halibut say, simply add chopped tarragon to the initial reduction and finish with chopped tarragon and chervil.
Red wine vinegar- my favourite all-rounder, in a vinaigrette- start with a heaped teaspoon of Dijon mustard, add a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, salt and a little black pepper, stir, add a teaspoon of warm water then whisk in 5 tablspoons of olive oil. Really though this vinegar comes into it’s own as a counterpoint to the caramelised flavours when meat and vegetables are browned, at the start of a casserole for example- after having browned your chicken and onions, remove from the pot and lift all the browned flavours from the pan by adding a splosh of red wine vinegar and scraping with a wooden spatula, reduce the liquid by half to remove some of the acidity( this mellows the flavour), add your stock and re-introduce your meat and veg. This simple act of “deglazing” your pan will give the finished dish balance and depth of flavour. Many chefs will sear their meat/ fish, remove to rest/ continue cooking in the oven and deglaze the pan with vinegar before adding stock and reducing and finishing with a knob of butter- this is the quickest and simplest of all sauces. The best red wine vinegar I’ve ever had is the Forum brand made in Spain from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
Sherry vinegar- the best of these come, obviously, from Spain, and the best of those is made by the excellent sherry house Valdespino. However this comes at the top end of the price scale.It can be wonderful when used to deglaze as described above, but with game birds such as pheasant and partridge- grapes added to the pan juices at the end,it also enlivens a bowl of lentils or butterbeans no end- however my greatest successes with this delightful potion have been in the dressing of warm salads, usually with some grilled or roasted meat or poultry. Try combining strips of roast Guinea fowl with sauteed wild mushrooms, some streaky bacon lardons, some croutons and full flavoured salad leaves such as watercress, chicory and dandelion and mixing the whole with a dressing of 1 part sherry vinegar to 5 parts olive oil- Good Lord, it’s happening again…
Balsamic vinegar- a word of warning here- “Balsamic glaze” is not balsamic vinegar- it is cheap, nasty and no replacement for the real deal. Proper, aged balsamic is expensive, but in my view emminently worth it. The really serious ones, aged 25-30 years and more are no doubt delightful, but have a price tag to match. Personally I use an 8 year old, which costs around £12. When you have fried your slices of calves liver (British Rose veal, naturally) to perfection, in half olive oil, half butter, thrown in half a dozen sage leaves, allowed them to sizzle and transfered the lot to a warm plate, the only decent thing to do is to anoint your awaiting offaly treat with a good tablespoon of deep, dark balsamic vinegar- heaven! A step up from this would be to slow cook some small onions, peeled but left whole, in butter and stock, with a small pinch of salt and sugar. Once soft and glazed they can be used in place of the sage leaves- if you choose this option I feel that the vinegar would be best poured straight in the pan, the dish then served, juices and all.
Fruit vinegars- there are endless permutations: raspberry, quince, crab apple and blackberry are my favourites. The last three are great with game, a little blackberry vinegar trickled into the traditional “chocolate sauce” that accompanies roast venison provides a great balance to that musky sweetness. I’ve used raspberry vinegar in a wonderful dessert that I learnt whilst working in France: To a kilo of mixed berries, to include raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and blackberries add four or five tablespoons of caster sugar and sprinkle with three or four tablespoons of raspberry vinegar ( you can use good quality red wine vinegar instead), allow the fruit to macerate for an hour or two. Make a strawberry and raspberry sauce by blitzing two punnets of each, strawberries hulled, with 2 tablespoons of sugar, a splash of water and a squeeze of lemon, then straining through a fine-meshed sieve. After the allotted time stir the fruit sauce into the macerated berries and add a little splash of orange-flower water. Taste and adjust the sweetness accordingly, if necessary- there should be a lovely balance between sharp and sweet with the orange flower water harmonising the whole. This will produce the most wonderful fruit soup- as an accompaniment vanilla ice cream works best, though I have served it with elderflower ice cream, which was met with great approval. To really gild the lily, you could drop little meringues into the soup just before serving.
Oh dear, pass me a napkin someone, it’s happening again….
davecooks1 