Article: Red Onion Balsamic Relish
Red Onion Balsamic Relish
Donald first made this sweet red onion balsamic vinegar relish for Thanksgiving dinner a few weeks ago as an alternative to the more traditional cranberry relish.
All three of us (Donald's sister joined us) liked the recipe so much we wanted to share it here. Thanksgiving's version used our Melanzana Fig Balsamic Vinegar, but tonight we had it using our top grade traditional balsamic vinegar. Both were outstanding and we are looking forward to experimenting with the Amarena Cherry and Italian Raspberry versions next.
What made this relish rise to the next level was including ½ cup of Zinfandel from our meal. Here's are two process photos showing the relish before (left) and after (right) the addition of red wine. The result was deep purple and glistening.
Keep in mind that different balsamic vinegars have different sugar levels. Our traditional balsamic vinegar is produced in such a way that a single tablespoon has 12 grams of sugar from the reduced grape must--no sugar added. We see products marketed as traditional balsamic vinegar with sugars ranging from 7 or 8 grams to a paltry 3 or 4 grams, and some of these come to their sweetness level from added sugar. All of this is to say, if use a balsamic vinegar with a lower sugar level and this relish is not sweet enough for your liking, you might need to add a bit more sugar to make up for it.
After making the relish tonight for photography, Donald toasted some baguette slices with our Arbequina EVOO and served the warm just-made relish with mascarpone and thyme.
He suggests that if you use this relish for an hors d'oeuvre you'd find a chopped onion a better choice for your guests. The slices are nice, but may be awkward for guests.
