Verjuice

[Chufi]

I picked up a bottle of verjuice yesterday. I'd never tasted it before, and bought because I've read about it and was curious. It's much less acidic than I expected - delicately sour, very fragrant and light.

Because it's not as assertive as I'd thought (I was thinking of using it as a more flavorful sub for lemon juice) I am now thinking how to use this without drowning that delicate flavor? I used some to deglaze a pan after frying some meat yesterday, but then the verjuice flavor completely disappeared.

My bottle cost about 7 euro, it's made in South Africa by the Verjuice Co.

[cricklewood]

It depends, it's definitly not as assertive as vinegar or lemon juice, and the taste,fragrance and quality of verjus is so different from one maker to the next. I have used it to macerate fresh fruits, you know you get strawberries out of season or that just don't have that much taste, cut them and splash a little verjus, a pinch of sugar and boom the flavour and fruitiness is bumped up. I also use it where I want a little acidity and sourness without that vinegar taste. Some use it to liven up sauces, just a small spoonfull into your veal jus or whatnot. Also any type of fruit coulis or reduction can use a bit of this. Hope this helps a bit.

[cooleen]

We have a local vineyard that makes it: my biggest success has been using it to deglaze the pan when making Frenched veal or lamb chops and pouring the jus over to serve. This vineyard also had a few recipes they give out, one that I recall used it for a vinaigrette dressing. If you google Wolffer maybe they have some online.

[ChefJB]

Make a pureed sauce out of verjus, capers and golden raisins excellent with seared scallops. Use in vinaigrettes, or use in anything to help balance flavors it is a nice source of sour without being too acidic.

[Abra]

It makes a beautiful "vinaigrette" with walnut oil.

[Chufi]

It makes a beautiful "vinaigrette" with walnut oil.

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Ha! That's what I did tonight! equal amounts of the verjuice and walnutoil, a little bit of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper en some finely chopped parsley, used to dress some cooked (cold) carrots. It was a delicious vinagrette and very different from what I usually make.

chefJB, the sauce for scallops sounds wonderful.

[Shalmanese]

Cook some lightly floured rainbow trout in a cast iron skillet and then deglaze with verjus ,throw in some grapes and almonds and butter at the last second and pour over the fish. it's an amazing flavour.

[gsquared]

Get one of those plastic sheet chocolate moulds - the disc-shaped ones. Put a sliver of basil in the bottom of each hollow. Fill with verjuice and freeze. Offer as a palate cleanser between courses, with a small pair of tongs to place it on the tongue.