Verjus Recipes
At the Hacienda, we use SCRIBE Verjus every day as a softer alternative to citrus juice or vinegar. Verjus Vinaigrette dresses our favorite salads and we refresh with the non-alcoholic, Verjus Shrub Spritz.
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Hacienda Verjus Spritz
2 parts verjus
1 part sparkling water
Serve in a wine glass, on the rocks with a squeeze of lemon.
Hacienda Verjus Shrub
This recipe is a great way to use up fruit that is just beyond ripe or blemished. Feel free to use whatever fruit is in season.
1 ½ cup blackberries
1 tablespoon sugar
4 oz honey
2 cups verjus
½ cup distilled vinegar
In a medium bowl, use your hands to mash up the fruit with the sugar. In another bowl, use a whisk to combine the verjus, vinegar and honey. Pour this mixture over the fruit. Cover the bowl and leave it in the refrigerator for a few days to macerate and develop flavor. Strain out the solids through a fine-mesh strainer, saving the syrup. The shrub should be quite strong since you will be cutting it with sparkling water.
To make a spritz, serve on the rocks with sparkling water and a lemon peel.
Verjus Spritz made with Oleo Saccharum
1 cup citrus peels: lemon, orange and/or grapefruit (leaving pith behind)
1/2 cup sugar
3 oz verjus
3 oz sparkling water
1 teaspoon oleo
To make the oleo saccharum, massage together the citrus peels and sugar. Place in a sealed container and leave out on the counter overnight. In the morning, most of the sugar should be dissolved. If not, add a few splashes of water and mix until fully dissolved.
To build the spritz, combine equal parts verjus and sparkling water with a small spoonful of oleo. Serve in a wine glass, on the rocks.
Verjus Vinaigrette
1/2 shallot, diced
1/4 cup verjus
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Healthy pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil
Place the diced shallot in a small bowl. Pour over the verjus, vinegar and salt, and let macerate for 10 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil, mix and adjust to taste.
Verjus Roasted Figs and Fromage Blanc Toast
Makes 4 toasts
2 fig leaves
Small bundle fresh thyme sprigs, pick about half
10 figs, halved
Sea salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup verjus
Olive oil
1/2 cup fromage blanc
4 slices of levain bread, toasted
Flaky sea salt
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a cazuela, small baking dish, or a small sauté pan with the two fig leaves and scatter half of the thyme branches on top. Arrange the figs atop the leaves, cut side up so they fit tightly. Sprinkle with the picked thyme, a generous pinch of salt, black pepper, verjus and olive oil. Bake until the figs get jammy and toasted on the edges, about 25 minutes.
To build the toast, smear the fromage blanc onto the bread, spoon on a few figs with all their delicious juices. Finish with a big pinch of flaky salt and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.
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