REDUCED BALSAMIC VINEGAR FOR DRIZZLING SAUCE AND GLAZE

Steps:

• Pour the balsamic vinegar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place over moderate heat. Stir in the honey, drop in the bay leaf and optional cloves or herbs, and bring to a low boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and allow the vinegar to reduce slowly. After 1/2 hour or so, when it has lost more than half of its original volume, the vinegar will start to appear syrupy, and you should watch it closely.
• To Use as a Glaze
• Cook the sauce to a third of its original volume (when it will measure 2/3 cup). It should be the consistency of molasses, thick but still spreadable. Pour the syrup through a small strainer into a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup. Discard the bay leaf and seasonings. Brush on the glaze while warm.
• For Use as a Condiment and an Elixir to Drizzle over Vegetables
• Reduce the vinegar even more, until it approaches a quarter of its original volume. Slow bubbles will rise from the syrup, and it will take on the consistency of honey, leaving a thick coating on a spoon. Pour it through a small strainer into a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup. Use a heat-proof spatula or spoon to clean out the saucepan before the reduction sticks to the pot for good! Drizzle on the syrup while it is still warm.
• Store in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. It will congeal but keep indefinitely. To use, spoon the hard sauce into a bowl or heatproof measuring cup, and heat it slowly in a pan of hot water or at low level in the microwave. For a thinner consistency, stir in drops of hot water.