Rose's July Shop Watch: Fig Balsamic Vinegar
Fig balsamic vinegar
The Oil Merchant
What?
Fig balsamic vinegar
Why?
Transforms Parma ham
An Italian friend recommended trying fig balsamic vinegar with Parma ham for lunch one day last summer. Now I am not normally someone who likes to mix sweet and savoury (I don’t like apple with roast pork for instance), so I was a bit sceptical. But then again I do eat my Parma ham with fresh melon and, indeed, figs in season, so why not? I found that the acidic but sweet fruity syrup really did transform the Parma ham, contrasting pleasantly with the saltiness of the prosciutto. The hunt was on to find a fig balsamic available in the UK.
In trying to find one I dismissed any that were not from the home of balsamic vinegar: Modena. Also any that were not from an aged vinegar and any that were a “glaze”. I wanted the real thing – a thick dark mature balsamic, syrupy in consistency, and with an intense fig flavour. And I discovered La Vecchia Dispensa Condimento all’Aceto Balsamico di Modena e Fichi, which can be bought from The Oil Merchant. The bottle shape and packaging are a delight. La Vecchia Dispensa balsamic comes from an old village in the foothills of Modena - Castelvetro. Two families there have been making balsamic vinegar for over four generations. The vinegar comes from only two grape varieties, and is aged in wooden barrels to produce a balsamic of supreme quality.
You only need a small amount, which you can drizzle over the Parma ham (or, even better, Culatello) but I prefer to serve it on the side and dip the ham in. It also gives a boost to a mixed plate of salumi and mozzarella (in which case pour a little over the mozzarella instead of oil) and I have tried it successfully in the Oil Merchant’s suggestion of using it to deglaze a pan in which lamb cutlets have been cooked. It is a great accompaniment to both hard and soft Italian cheeses and delicious drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
But I would always prefer to opt for the pure simplicity of a plate of thinly cut, aged Parma ham slices folding over on themselves enlivened with this divine condiment.
Conclusion:
A perfect summer lunch
Product Details:
La Vecchia Dispensa Condimento all'Aceto Balsamico di Modena e Fichi
100ml
£11.55 + £4 p&p
Contact:
The Oil Merchant
Tel.: 0208 740 1335
theoilmerchant
Also available in Wholefoods Kensington
Tel.: 0207 368 4500
Availability and price as at 30th June 2018