Balsamic Pearls
With the help of agar flakes, a plant-based gelatin derived from seaweed, you can turn pretty much any liquid into semi-solid pearls. This works especially well with balsamic vinegar, giving each bite a pop of bright tanginess. It’s fine to use agar powder instead of flakes.
Ingredients
- 2 g agar flakes (1 tsp)
- 120 ml balsamic vinegar
- 200 ml olive oil (don’t worry, you can reuse it afterwards)
Instructions
- Add the agar flakes and vinegar to a pan to soak. Pour the olive oil into a jar or glass and place it in the freezer for 45 minutes.
- Ten minutes before the oil is ready, bring the vinegar to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until most of the flakes have dissolved. Strain the liquid through a small sieve to catch any remaining agar flakes and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- When the 45 minutes are up, remove the jar of oil from the freezer. Fill a pipette with the vinegar mixture and add droplets of it to the cold oil (you can also let them roll off from a fork). The pearls will form immediately as they sink to the bottom of the jar. Once you’ve used all of the vinegar, strain the pearls into a fine sieve (you can reuse the olive oil). Then store them in a small container in the fridge, ready to use. They will keep airtight for around 2 weeks.