Verjus - Wine's Cooking Cousin
Written By: Alexandra Perez-Urbina on Wed, Sep 3rd 2008
"Verjus" or "green juice"... I kind of knew what it was, but not really. In fact, it was relatively unknown to us in the U.S. until very recently, for example, there is nothing in my cooking textbook about verjus - everything I found was on the internet. Verjus is harvested like wine and goes through the similar process of picking, crushing, pressing, racking, and bottling. The only differences are that only green grapes are used, and there's no need for color extraction, fermentation, or aging. Verjus, can also be made from other unripe fruit, such as crabapples.
Verjus is about as old as wine, but over the years, lemon juice replaced verjus in the kitchen. In essence, it's a method of cost control in vineyards, as nothing is allowed to go to waste. Verjus is fruity and acidic, and it was extremely popular in France from Medieval times through the 19th-century. It was also used in the Middle East - in Iran it is called abghooreh and in Lebannonk, hosrum.
In 18th-century France, verjus was a little more than just grapes and grape juice in a bottle. Sugar, 90-proof alcohol, and wine vinegar were also added. In cooking, verjus adds deep flavor and lively tanginess that can make any sauce come alive without clashing with wine.
Verjus can be used as most acids in the kitchen. It can be used in deglazing a pan, and because of its high acidity, it can be used with highly fatty meats, such as duck or goose, and its strong favor also works well with game sauces. One can use verjus in recipes instead of lemon juice and it can be added to stocks and broths for more depth. Verjus can also be used in beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Its sweetness and acidity also make it a great contender for sorbets.
Since verjus is acidic, it can also be used in place of vinegar in vinaigrettes. There are a few commercial products I never purchase, and one of them just happens to be salad dressings. I think that I can make them better, and without much effort, especially since my salad dressings of choice are vinaigrettes and honey mustard dressing. Vinaigrettes can be made with an acid, oil, and herbs and spices. The hardest thing about making a vinaigrette, though, is getting the ratio of oil to acid "right" - in other words, how you like it. I like my vinaigrettes ratio at 2.5 parts oil to 1 part acid, but the standard ratio is 3:1. With verjus, however, you may want to use more as it is not as acidic as most vinegars. I found the ratio to be 2.5 part verjus to 1 part oil, and even 3:1 for more zing.
The fun of cooking is discovering new ingredients and using them conventionally and unconventionally. As with any science, there's no guarantee that every experiment will be a success, but you may uncover a jewel for your taste buds and that is a great gain for mankind - or at least for everyone you know and share your secret with. Happy cooking!
For more on how verjus is made, check out Kiger Family Vineyards.
