A gastrique is made by caramelizing sugar until it darkens, then deglazing it with vinegar to build a sweet and sour syrup, often finished with fruit or aromatics. It's used in small amounts to cut rich meat like duck or pork with a sharp, glossy contrast. The 17 recipes here are cited to their published sources; the ratio bar on each recipe page shows the measured liquids.

How long does gastrique keep?

Most oil-acid dressings keep 3–5 days refrigerated in a sealed jar; egg emulsions are shorter (1–2 days). Always follow the source technique and your local food-safety judgment. We print ratios, not shelf-life claims.

What cut or form of ingredients should I buy?

Buy the form named on the recipe (e.g. Dijon vs whole-grain mustard). Jar labels use short pour names; the editorial page lists full pantry names. When in doubt, match the cited source.

Best Gastriques

Independent adaptations of publicly published chef recipes. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any named chef or restaurant. Award and list names are used for factual identification only; the site is not affiliated with or endorsed by any award organization, publication, or television program.

17 gastrique recipes in the catalog, each tied to a published source and an award-winning kitchen. Below: the ratio pattern that defines the category, a short FAQ, and a seeded jar you can build without retyping ingredients.

Ratio explainer · Citrus Gastrique

Typical liquid stack for this category. Oil and acid volumes from a published recipe in the set. Michelin- and James Beard–linked kitchens contribute the majority of citations in this catalog.

Red Wine Vinegar 240 mlLemon 66 mlLime 60 mlOrange 135 ml

Citrus Gastrique

★★★ KITCHEN

On the jar: CITRUS

Humm's citrus gastrique, a tangy-sweet finish for duck

stove · gastrique

Cranberry-Strawberry Chutney

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

On the jar: CRANBERRYSTR

Pocknett's cranberry-strawberry chutney for roasted meats

stove · gastrique

Tamarind Gastrique

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

On the jar: TAMARIND SAU

Kwame Onwuachi's tamarind gastrique for doubles

stove · gastrique

Spicy Fish Sauce Caramel

NATIONAL AWARD WINNER

On the jar: SPICY FISH

Spicy Fish- Caramel from a national-award-winning chef

stove · gastrique

Elderberry Dressing

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: ELDERBERRY

The dressing from Mackenzie's venison tartare

stove · gastrique

Green Apple-Lime Salsa

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: SALSA

Giuseppe Stanzione's green apple-lime salsa for seafood

shake · gastrique

Apple-Orange-Sauce

★★★ KITCHEN

On the jar: APPLE-ORANGE

Christian Jürgens's apple-orange sauce for fondue

shake · gastrique

Soy Caramel Sauce

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: SOY CARAMEL

Hashimoto's soy caramel sauce for crêpes & desserts

stove · gastrique

Salsa Acidulada

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: SALSA

de la Cruz's honey-citrus gastrique for roasted meats

shake · gastrique

Caramel Sauce

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: CARAMEL

Demers's caramel sauce for molten chocolate cake

stove · gastrique

Crème Anglaise

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: CRME

Demers's classic crème anglaise for desserts

stove · gastrique

Caramel Custard Base

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: CARAMEL

Demers's caramel custard base for pots de crème

stove · gastrique

Coconut Sauce Mango Sticky Rice Drizzle

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: COCONUT

Jangprai's coconut sauce for mango sticky rice

stove · gastrique

Vinegar-Sugar Reduction

★ STARRED KITCHEN

On the jar: REDUCTION

Vinegar-sugar reduction from a starred kitchen

stove · gastrique

River Trout Glaze

HATTED KITCHEN

On the jar: RIVER TROUT

Savage's cider-soy glaze for river trout

stove · gastrique

Rosehip Glaze

★★★ KITCHEN

On the jar: ROSEHIP

From a three-star kitchen

stove · gastrique

Pepper Crab Glaze

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

On the jar: PEPPER CRAB

Johannessen's pepper crab glaze

stove · gastrique

FAQ

What is a gastrique?: A gastrique is made by caramelizing sugar until it darkens, then deglazing it with vinegar to build a sweet and sour syrup, often finished with fruit or aromatics. It's used in small amounts to cut rich meat like duck or pork with a sharp, glossy contrast. The 17 recipes here are cited to their published sources; the ratio bar on each recipe page shows the measured liquids.
How long does gastrique keep?: Most oil-acid dressings keep 3–5 days refrigerated in a sealed jar; egg emulsions are shorter (1–2 days). Always follow the source technique and your local food-safety judgment. We print ratios, not shelf-life claims.
What cut or form of ingredients should I buy?: Buy the form named on the recipe (e.g. Dijon vs whole-grain mustard). Jar labels use short pour names; the editorial page lists full pantry names. When in doubt, match the cited source.

Seeded jar

Seeded jar · 1 sauce

1 kitchen · 3 stars

Apple-Orange-Sauce★★★ KITCHENOn the jar: APPLE-ORANGE

Build a Gastrique jar

$39.99 + S&H founding · first 500 · $49.99 after launch