Raspberry Balsamic Glaze

This raspberry balsamic glaze can go with just about anything, savory or sweet. Use it as a sauce for fish, chicken or beef, drizzle over a salad or roasted brussels sprouts, pour it over ice cream or berries, drizzle a little onto feta cheese and dried fruit. My favorite way to use this glaze is to drizzle it over grilled veggies and spoon on some pesto. My clients beg for that every time.

Ingredients

Three ingredients are all you need. I do not bother using the expensive aged balsamic vinegar. In my opinion, the addition of the raspberry and sweetener cancel out the need for the fancy stuff.

Fresh, sweet raspberries are definitely best but frozen raspberries will work too. In fact, if raspberries are not in season, frozen ones are often the better option. Frozen fruit is usually picked when at it’s perfect ripeness and frozen very soon after. So the flavor and sweetness are perfectly preserved.

For the sweetener, agave is my go to. Brown sugar, white sugar and honey are all great options too.

Cooking the Glaze

The technique for making this glaze is a “reduction,” which involves simmering the vinegar until it becomes syrupy. Be patient and keep it at a simmer. Letting it boil may speed up the process but you risk over-reducing it. Stirring the mixture every so often is a good idea to keep the syrup from sticking.

Recipes with Balsamic Glaze

• The combination of balsamic glaze with pesto is absolutely sublime! Drizzle some of this glaze on a salad dressed with pesto or a gluten-free pizza with a basil pesto as the sauce.
• Combine it with your favorite olive oil for a perfect salad dressing.
• Drizzle it over grilled salmon.
• Brush it onto roasted chicken for the final 15 minutes of cooking.