Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette – salad dressing, marinade, sauce & more

This simple recipe creates an adaptable vinaigrette that tastes great on salads, steamed vegetables, grains and even steak or chicken breast!

Ingredients:

1/3 C      Lucini Fig Infused Balsamic

1 tsp       fresh Garlic, minced

1 tsp       Salt

1/4 tsp  Black pepper

1/2 tsp  Lemon Peel, grated fine

1/2 C     Lucini Basil – Infused Extra Virgin

Preparation:

In a bowl, whisk together fig balsamic, garlic, salt and black pepper.  Add garlic and lemon peel and stir.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil (VERY slowly at first) while whisking constantly to emulsifiy.  If  you have time, refrigerate until serving; this seems to make the flavor more consistent throughout the vinaigrette.

Burgeoning Balsamic Cocktails

Perhaps the change in the weather, the hope of “green shoots” sprouting in the economy or an over abundance of sweet drinks I have become intrigued by “savory” cocktails. Some of the tastiest feature balsamic.  In my own experimentation I found that the quality of the vinegar really needed to be “top-shelf” to avoid a bad acid taste. With the ever changing menu it is hard to know what will be available when you visit but one of my favorite NYC experimental bar menus is a WD-50.

Since many of these featured cocktails in bars include fruit you might want to do your own tests with some fruit-infused balsamics.

Here is a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin or Vodka
6 diced strawberries (need to be ripe with flavor)
1/4 oz of Lucini 10-Year Gran Balsamico
Drizzle of sugar syrup to taste
Twist of lime (or basil)

Directions:
1. Muddle the chopped strawberries and dump into shaker
2. Add the other ingredients and ice, shake vigorously.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh crushed ice.
4. Add garnish