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Verjus - A Culinary Journey

Verjus (which literally means green juice) is a wonderful by-product of the wine-growing process. Part way through the season, grapes are removed from the vines in order to intensify the remaining grapes for wine making. The grapes that are removed are pressed to make this sweet, yet tart non-alcoholic liquid that has been used for centuries as a culinary alternative to vinegars, lemon juice and even wine. It is a tremendously versatile product that can be used in salad dressings and marinades, as a reduction medium in sauces, as a poaching liquid for sweet and savory dishes, and it is even a refreshing drink when mixed with a sparkling water.

To help you embark on your journey with our verjus, we have included some of our favourite recipes. You can also find endless recipes on the Internet as verjus has gained a lot of notoriety with gourmet chefs around the world. 

We produce both a red and white version of verjus at Ridge Road Winery. Our red verjus is made from mainly Cabernet Franc grapes but we add a little Syrah and Pinot Noir for added complexity. Our white verjus is made solely from Riesling grapes. Both come in a 750ml bottle so you don't run out too quickly. Verjus can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks but if you want to keep it longer, you can freeze it in ice cube trays indefinitely.

We hope you enjoy your culinary journey with our favourite recipes below....  

Verjus Dipping Oil

1 teaspoon each of red and black pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of fresh oregano

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme

1 teaspoon of fresh basil

1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon of fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 smashed garlic clove

1/4 cup of Ridge Road Verjus

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and pour onto a shallow plate. Serve with crusty bread.

Verjus Salad Dressing

1/4 cup of Ridge Road Verjus

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

1/2 of a finely chopped shallot clove

1/2 of a smashed garlic clove

pepper and salt to taste

Shake together all ingredients or blend together with a hand blender for a thicker, creamier dressing. For a variation, add your favourite herbs to personalize the dressing.

Pesto 

1 c almonds

1 c walnuts

2 cloves garlic

2 ¾ c flat leaf parsley

½ c basil

1 ½  tsp sea salt

6 grinds black pepper,

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil,

¾ cup Ridge Road verjus

At 220 c roast nuts for 5 mins  cool, then blend in food processor with garlic herbs and seasonings to a fine paste with a little of the olive oil.  Add rest of the olive oil and add the verjus just before serving.  (eat the pesto with toasted bruschetta and goats cheese, also great with poached salmon or chicken).

Demi-Glace

Reduce equal quantities of verjus and good, strong stock with finely chopped shallots.  Season with salt & pepper and serve with grilled meats.

Vegetables

 Braised Fennel 

Slowly braise fennel in verjus, turning frequently, then reduce the cooking liquid to a syrupy glaze.  Remove from the heat and swirl in extra virgin olive oil and freshly chopped flat leaf parsley.

  Zucchini with verjus and chives 

 Trim the ends from tiny young zucchini and boil them whole for 3-4 mins.  Drain and cool slightly.  Cut into long strips and toss with freshly chopped chives and 4 parts extra virgin olive oil to 1 part verjus.  Season.

 

 Buttery Spinach 

Cook spinach in butter, then add a grinding of pepper, a grating of nutmeg and a dash of verjus.

   Baby greens and verjus  

Use tender, delicately flavoured baby greens with equal quantities of verjus and a mellow olive oil.  The verjus dressing will provide the perfect balance between acidity and sweetness and will not overpower the baby leaves the way balsamic vinegar will. 

  Grilled vegetables with verjus and olive oil 

Use all or a combination of red onion, baby fennel bulbs, red pepper, eggplant, zucchini.  Toss them in a mixture of olive oil, sprigs of thyme, thinly sliced lemon until well coated.  Reserve olive oil mixture.  Grill vegetables over hot grill.  Meanwhile combine 75 ml verjus and the reserved to mixture in a large baking dish, season with sea salt.  Remove the vegetables as they become cooked and place them in the verjus “bath”.  Serve warm as a side dish or on a bed of soft polenta.  Can be tossed with ricotta or goat cheese as a salad or mixed with pasta.  Be sure to drizzle each serving with plenty of the delicious juices.

 Beurre blanc (white butter sauce)

Using verjus is far better than using wine or vinegar.  You can reduce it down almost to a syrup that is the right texture to accept the butter.  Beurre blanc made with verjus is perfectly balanced – a little sweetness, good sharpness and a wonderfully homogenous texture.  The result is far too sharp if you use wine or vinegar

 1 ¼ c verjus;

8 oz cold unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

2 tablespoons heavy cream

 salt & pepper

  Combine verjus and shallots.  Reduce over med heat to approx 75-80%.  Wisk in the heavy cream (cream prevents the sauce from separating when adding the butter).  Wisk in the cold butter a few pieces at a time until all incorporated.  (verjus reduction must be hot when adding cold butter).  Makes 1 cup sauce.  Excellent with pan fried scallops or chicken or veal.

Verjus vinaigrette for oysters

  3 tablespoons verjus

 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 4 grated shallots

 sea salt

 black pepper

 2 dozen freshly shucked oysters

 Combine the verjus, olive oil and shallots in a jar and shake well.  Add salt and pepper to taste and spoon over oysters.  Allow approx 1 teaspoon dressing per oyster.

 Poultry 

Pot roasted chicken

Brown a chicken in olive oil or butter in a large casserole, then add garlic cloves, a sprig of rosemary, 125 ml chicken stock and 125 ml verjus.  Pot roast for 40-60 minutes, covered.   Turn occasionally and add more verjus or stock as necessary.  A delicious syrupy glaze will develop around the bird.

 Pan fried chicken breasts

 Cook seasoned chicken breasts or legs, skin side down in oil or  butter turning until just cooked through.  Drain off excess butter and deglaze the pan with verjus.

BBQ chicken

 Plunge chicken pieces that have been grilled on the bbq into a “bath” of verjus, fresh herbs and extra virgin olive oil.  Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Meat

Beef Fillet with verjus sauce

(serves 6) 

10 shallots finely sliced

olive oil

375 ml verjus

1 litre beef stock

6 beef fillets

Sauté the shallots in a little olive oil until golden, then deglaze the pan with the verjus and reduce by half.  Add the stock and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the sauce has reduced and is sticky – set aside.  Grill steaks until medium rare.  Place steaks on warm plates and surround with sauce.  Serve with homemade sliced fries or mashed  potatoes.

Pork Tenderloin with Sage and Verjus

(serves 4) 

2 x 400 g tenderloins

30 ml extra virgin olive oil

 2 cloves garlic

 minced; sea salt

 black pepper

32 sage leaves

110 ml verjus

 60 g butter

Brush the meat with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Press a few of the sage leaves on the meat then brown the pork on all sides in a heavy baking dish to fit the meat snugly.  Deglaze the pan with verjus, then roast the meat for 15 minutes at 190 C.  Remove from the oven and let rest covered for 10 minutes.  Increase temp to 200 C.  Dot remaining sage leaves with butter and crisp in oven for 9 minutes.  Spoon over pork and carve

Verjus Sour

 Shake together 120 ml verjus; 30 ml rum, 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 2 teaspoons Cointreau and some ice.  Strain and serve.

Another use for Ridge Road Verjus, and one of our favourites, is deglazing a pan  after you have roasted your meat. This added element makes a gravy or sauce that your guests will remember!