Balsamic Glaze or Balsamic Reduction Sauce

A few years ago at a highly acclaimed Denver restaurant, I ordered a dish of crab cakes that were served drizzled with a wonderful balsamic glaze. One bite and I was inquiring the waitress for a recipe or method to make the glaze. She exclaimed it to be incredibly easy "Just bla..bla..bla.. then bla..bla.. and then just bla and voila and you've re-created an exact replica of this glaze that is sitting in front of you".

The very next day I went to work in my kitchen to recreate the process. Well, the "bla..bla..bla..then just bla" instructions led me nowhere near the result from the restaurant.

Recently I blogged about our monthly Wine Time event. Our friend Kathy brought some bottled balsamic glaze to drizzle over some bread and blue cheese. I mentioned in my post how delicious it was, and that it was purchased in Omaha, and I was hoping to find some in Denver. Well, lo and behold, Michele to the rescue! Michele over at Cooking With Michele , quickly fired over her own recipe for Balsamic Glaze. I was thrilled to say the least. Michele is a Denver food blogger, a trained and talented chef, a cooking instructor and a sommelier. With credentials like that, I knew her recipe would be spot on. And with her side note of...

"This one's easy, I promise! The more you let it reduce, the thicker it will be. And while it might not seem too thick when it's hot, it thickens more when it cools. I keep mine in a squeeze bottle in the fridge to have on hand - good on chicken, fish, pork, beef, parmesan cheese, strawberries, ice cream, cheese and more!"

I couldn't get to the kitchen fast enough to give it a try. While the sauce was simmering, I skewered some chunks of chicken breast, seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled them and simply arranged them alongside a mixture of baby greens. I drizzled on Michele's wonderfully aromatic and thick dark glaze over the greens and the chicken and had a simple but incredibly rich flavored meal.

I can't thank you enough Michele . I now have my own little squeeze bottle of this black gold in my refrigerator, of which I feel incredibly smug.

For the recipe, head on over to her site for her Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze recipe .

Balsamic Glaze...It's What's for Making Dinner Special. For more of my posts visit:

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