Re: Vinegar

I have a rapidly growing vinegar collection. I’ve always had a love of vinegar. As a child, I used to drink capfuls of it straight for the perverse pleasure of it. I always preferred salad dressing so bitter it was, in hindsight, horrid. By extension, I have always particularly liked acidic flavours, lime juice based anything is fine for me and there is nothing I like more than a dish with a strong lemon top note.

 

Lately however things seem to have taken a bit of a turn. I am finding it increasingly difficult to walk past a ritzy vinegar and find myself increasingly enthralled to the diversity of the stuff.

It started with a trip to the Lambeth Country Fair from where I bought a lovely balsamic that incorporated local honey. Sweeter than you would expect it pares beautifully with a solid neutral oil for a vinaigrette that lifts greens and incorporates well with seeds and nuts if added to a salad.

From the apple man at Oval farmers’ markets came a cider vinegar pressed at orchard. Sharp and boldly one note, this beauty totally lacks any complexity and tastes of nothing but apple. This one needs a bit of tlc, but a wonderfully sharp flavour is there. I’m very curious to try this in hollandaise and as the acid note in a mustard.

Cornercopia is part of the extraordinary rejuvenation of Brixton Village. As well as providing an exceptionally well priced and constantly evolving menu, they stock a seriously lovely collection of pantry products such as sauces, condiments and terrific cordials, On my recent trip to the village for Thursday night dinner (Etta’s this time).

I stopped in as I had a bit to wait for my table and noticed the range had grown pretty handsomely. For £3.75 I grabbed a vinegar made with Brixton sourced elderberry. For that price I was delighted, I’d have paid twice that for what has turned out to be a vinegar as at home with a braise as over fruit for desert. That is just bloody terrific isn’t it? How could I resist?

I admit, things don’t sound too dire with this list, but I know how these things usually wind up for me. A passing interest becomes a lingering curiosity becomes me sitting in a kitchen with 150 varieties and absolutely no desire for salad.