Gastrique

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Scallop with a tangerine gastrique

Gastrique is a thick sauce produced by a reduction of vinegar or wine, sugar, and usually fruit. It is often served over meat or seafood to add a fruit flavor to the dish. It is made in its simplest form by caramelizing sugar and then adding vinegar. It is often used in tomato sauce to help balance the acid of the tomato.

Note that despite the sugar base, a gastrique need not be particularly sweet. As sugar caramelizes, its sweetness declines. In fact, (and depending on the proportions of the acid component) a gastrique that begins with a caramel cooked to a nut brown can be considered a savory, rather than sweet, sauce.

An agrodolce is a similar sauce found in Italian cuisine.

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