Balsamic Vinegar Cream with Figs

I think I told you about my "adventure" through the kitchens of some restaurants around here, where I had to apply ingenuity to satisfy both the goat and the cabbage: the customers who needed to be pleased and return, but also the owner who wanted to keep costs as low as possible. So, in order to give up on store-bought balsamic creams, many of which have the label "balsamic vinegar from Modena" but are actually of lower quality, I started to improvise various sauces and creams, aimed at decorating and enhancing the taste of salads. From this experimentation, with the help of ingredients from old containers, the balsamic-style vinegar cream or sauce emerged.

In this recipe, I used red wine vinegar and figs, but you can choose any red wine that has gone sour or has a more acidic base note. It is important, however, to help the wine sour by leaving it near a heat source for about a day. As for the fruits, they play an essential role in finishing the sauce, and to choose them, you can opt for any fruit that pairs well with the wine or vinegar combination. Personally, I have tried so far with oranges, but the most refined taste was obtained with a dessert white wine, combined with oranges, plums, and berries.

The procedure is simple: place the figs, just slightly crushed by hand or with the back of a spoon, in an airtight container. Add the red wine vinegar or the sour wine and let it macerate for about 24 hours, away from direct light. During this time, the fruits will macerate, changing their texture, provided they are fully ripe.

In a pot, which can be larger than the one I use, so it has a larger contact surface with the heat, put the brown sugar as if you were making caramel. It is crucial not to stir with a spoon or spatula during caramelization to avoid the formation of unburned sugar balls. Once you achieve a homogeneous caramel of the same color, add the entire contents of the container. Leave it on high heat until it reaches boiling temperature, then reduce the heat and allow it to reduce.

Add a pinch of salt and a little ground black pepper, adjusting to taste. Depending on the fruits used and the desired flavor, you can also add nutmeg, cinnamon, or star anise. To check if the sauce is ready, perform the consistency test: take a spoonful and drop it on a cold surface, then observe the degree of viscosity after it has cooled. If necessary, let it reduce a bit more.

Once the sauce is ready, take it off the heat and carefully strain it, considering that figs contain very small seeds that could pass through a too-fine strainer. I used a paper filter from coffee makers, but there are also reusable cloth strainers. After straining the sauce, store it in a paper bottle, which you keep in the refrigerator. For me, due to consumption, it did not last more than two months, but it will definitely add a special touch to your dishes!