主理：Gary Suen，文：Gary Suen
Gastrique在傳統西式烹飪一般是指焦糖和酸醋混和的厚身醬汁，味道酸甜，常用於沙律、甜點甚至是主菜。這與一般用於沙律的油醋汁（vinaigrette）不同——Vinaigrette是以油和醋拌勻成，味道較酸，醬汁亦較稀。這次的黑醋汁用上Gastrique的做法，醬汁因混入了焦糖所以質地較濃稠，甜酸的味道亦較平衡，更開胃和易入口。
甜黑醋汁田園沙律
材料︰
-甜黑醋汁:
- 2湯匙砂糖
- 1/4量杯意大利黑醋
-沙律：
- 4個番茄，切片
- 2量杯沙律菜（到超市買任何沙律菜均可）
- 1/4量杯合桃
-其餘調味：
- 1/4湯匙橄欖油
- 檸檬汁和鹽調味
做法︰
- 先做黑醋汁：將砂糖放進小鍋用中火加熱，其間不要攪拌，糖會慢慢溶化變成金黃色的焦糖。將醋慢慢倒進焦糖裏（要慢慢的倒，因為醋可能會濺出）。將醋汁攪勻直至焦糖完全溶解，再用慢火煮5分鐘直至醋汁變得厚身。熄火讓汁稍為冷卻，然後倒進小碗或塑膠擠瓶備用。
- 烤合桃：將焗爐預熱至攝氏190度。將合桃放入焗爐烤10分鐘至香脆，然後取出，稍冷卻，用手略為撕碎備用。
- 將番茄和沙律菜放上碟，旁邊放合桃粒，澆上黑醋汁、橄欖油和檸檬汁，灑上適量的鹽調味即成。
Salad with Balsamic Gastrique
Ingredients:
- Gastrique Dressing:
- 2 tablespoon of white
- 1/4 cup of balsamic
- Salad:
- 4 tomatoes - washed and sliced
- 2 cups of salad greens (for example, mesclun or rocket)
- 1/4 cup of walnuts
- To finish:
- 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil
- Lemon wedge (for the juice)
- Salt
Steps:
- Prepare gastrique: Put sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir the sugar until the sugar dissolves and turn into a deep golden caramel. Pour in balsamic vinegar (careful - liquid may splatter). Stir until the caramel melts in the vinegar. Continue to boil about 5 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour into a small bowl or squeeze bottle and set aside.
- Toast walnuts: Preheat oven at 190C. Put walnuts in the baking pan. Toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the walnuts from the oven and leave it to cool.
- Assembly: Arrange tomato slices and salad greens on plates. Break walnuts into small pieces and place them around the plate as well. Drizzle gastrique dressing, olive oil, and a light squeeze of lemon juice over the salad. Season with salt.