Eatwell Farm

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Verjuis: Brighten Your Dishes With This Tart Splash

Used in European and Middle Eastern cooking for centuries, verjuis is a delicious addition to your pantry. Neither wine nor vinegar, verjuis has a flavor somewhere between the two, with a tart/sweet flavor and high degree of flexibility. We love to splash it into everything at the farm, from roasted vegetables and fish to salads and pan sauces.

Eatwell Farm’s verjuis is made using centuries old farming and production methods. Like generations of farmers before us, we thinned our grape vines at the start of the season to allow them to produce a full flavored fruit at harvest time. Then we pressed these unripe grapes for their juice using a historic wine press to create this delicious and unique verjuis.

 You can use Eatwell Farm’s verjuis any way you would lemon juice or wine vinegars. We recommend:

Shallot Vinaigrette: Marinate 1 finely diced shallot in 6 tablespoons of verjuis for 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard, salt, pepper, and a few drops of honey. Whisk to combine while slowly adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Makes about ½ cup.

Grilled or Roasted Vegetables: Grill or roast whatever vegetables you like with salt, pepper, and olive oil. When the vegetables are done, toss gently with ¼ cup of verjuis. Add chopped herbs if you have them around (thyme, oregano, marjoram, parsley, etc.). Adjust seasoning to taste.

Fish: Grill, sauté, or roast your favorite fish. While it’s resting, sprinkle with a little verjuis instead of lemon juice before serving.

Meat and Poultry Pan Sauce: After searing or roasting your meat or poultry, sauté 1 minced clove of garlic and 1 minced shallot in the same pan for 1-2 minutes. Then add 1 cup stock and 1/2 cup verjuis. Once the liquid has reduced by 3/4, whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of minced thyme. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve sauce over meat.

Verjuis can be ordered through the web-store at www.eatwell.com.