Agrodolce Sauce
Channel your inner Sicilian home cook and make agrodolce, a sweet-sour condiment you can use on sandwiches or grilled steak.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon capers
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup dried fruit preferably golden raisins (sultanas), dried cranberries, and dried apricots
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt Kosher salt or sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- Lemon zest optional
- Red pepper flakes optional
- Fresh chiles optional
- Fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and sauté until they become slightly golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the red wine vinegar and simmer that mixture until it reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
- Next, add the capers, dried fruits, and pine nuts. Stir to combine everything.
- Stir the honey into the rest of the mixture and simmer everything for about 4 minutes, until the sauce is thicker.
- Add the butter and stir until it’s fully combined with the rest of the sauce. Then add the salt and pepper, stirring again to combine all the ingredients.
- Add any other optional flavorings, such as lemon zest, red pepper flakes, fresh chiles, or fresh parsley.
Notes
3 Ways to Serve Agrodolce Sauce
Agrodolce, a sweet but sour sauce, can be a good condiment to keep on hand for weeknight meals. Make a batch to use in one or more of the following ways.
- As a condiment: In Italy, where the sauce originates, chefs serve agrodolce alongside brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, and other vegetables. The sweet-tart flavor of the sauce goes well with the slight char on roasted vegetables. Alternatively, you can serve agrodolce as a condiment with appetizers, such as on a charcuterie board.
- As a sandwich spread: For an Italian meat sandwich, allow the agrodolce sauce to come to room temperature so it’s a more spreadable consistency. Then add the sauce to slices of bread before you layer your meats, cheeses, and other sandwich fillings. The acidity in the agrodolce cuts through the fatty meats, creating a nice balance of flavor.
- As a topping: Meats such as pork chops, chicken breasts, and steak can benefit from a sauce with sweet-tart flavors post-grilling. The agrodolce adds sweetness and a sticky texture that complements the smoky char on grilled meats or other grilled side dishes.