Balsamic Reduction

Oh my, a month of moving and its attendant trauma has kept me out of the kitchen for a looong time. Now I am without kitchen altogether for awhile! Lovely Carnivorous Boyfriend and I are staying with his family in New Hampshire for a bit and tonight I borrowed the stove to make a balsamic reduction to compliment the grilled eggplant, mozzarella, tomato, and basil stacks we had for dinner (well, that I had, LCBF had a steak). It turned out really nicely and the sweetness was perfect with the salty Maplebrook Farm mozzarella and Moulton Farm tomatoes we bought earlier in the day.

Recipe after the jump:

First, I must rave for a moment about Moulton Farm where we picked up the ingredients for dinner. Gorgeous produce! The aroma from the huge bunch of fresh basil we bought lingered in the car for a good while after its departure. A basil-scented car is very pleasant to step into, I must say. I also scarfed down a delicious cranberry-nut muffin in the parking lot, as I was very hungry from a big day of New Hampshire sightseeing. And don't get me started on the apple cider doughnuts ("cider bellies donuts"). Amazing.

Now, about that reduction . . .

Balsamic Reduction

1 c. Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 tbl. Light Brown Sugar

Add balsamic vinegar to a non-reactive sauce pan (so, don't use copper or aluminum). Bring to a low boil then reduce to a simmer. Slowly stir in brown sugar. Simmer until the liquid thickens and covers the back of the spoon.

I was concerned about scorching, so I simmered slowly and stirred often (LCBF helped). This mostly unscientific method reduced the 8 oz. of balsamic vinegar to 3 oz.

Saucy!

Reduced!

Side note: You don't want to lean over the pot while it's cooking--the vapors will assault your nose and possibly your eyes leaving you blind and unable to smell (not really--it's just unpleasant).

A little of the reduction goes a long way. Save any leftover sauce in the fridge, ideally in a squeeze bottle.

I posted the recipe for tomato eggplant stacks a couple months ago, but they're very easy: peel and sweat eggplant, brush with olive oil, grill for 3-4 minutes a side, stack with alternating slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese, salt & pepper to taste. Top with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

Preparing to Stack

New Hampshire Noms

This all made me very happy tonight. LCBF poured the reduction on his steak and very much enjoyed it. LCBF's brother, He Who Does Not Eat Vegetables, tried a bite of an eggplant stack, declared that it "wasn't bad" and then ate three of them. So there you have it.