Tiresias wrote:
AJB will probably have some higher end alternatives…
I have resisted commenting. The proper aged stuff made from grape must is expensive. But having been peripherally involved in the restaurant biz over the years, you might be surprised how many restaurants top up their visible bottles with this stuff
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Country-Range- ... 80&sr=8-58This is £16.99 from big river retailer for 5 litres
, but around a tenner on a trade account.
I've had the stuff at most quality levels, including artisan produce at source in Italy, but what I use at home is Waitrose Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP Invecchiato **** in the short square bottles. This is around £11 for 250ml and is thick enough and refined enough to be good as a final dressing on fish, salads and eggs. I used to buy another type with wax seals in really nice cylindrical cases, but it's hard to find now and since brexit prices are silly.
If you are adding to sauces, use any old cheap stuff. Restaurants do!
Anything below about £25 (including the one above) is going to be heavily cut with ordinary wine vinegar and they wont tell you what wine or what quality. If you want premium quality where they will tell you the ingredient sources then you will need to source accordingly from a Modenese supplier.
Tip from James Martin and from me: buy very high quality sherry vinegar. This is far cheaper and just as good in many cases.
I too like salad cream. Stems from my childhood.
Don't like: wood, engines, electrickery, decorating, tiling, laying stone, plumbing, gardening or any kind of DIY. Not wild about spiders either.