We're out to add some pizzazz to your table. To take your cheese plates to the next level. To expand your repertoire of quick and easy amuse bouche. To spice up your plate, whether you're cooking dinner on your own or for a house-full. Food is something to be shared and savored. We invite you to indulge. Herein we offer a collection of little bites to try when you're home alone, with your S.O., your entire family, or a gathering of friends.
We put our hearts and souls into each one of our products. They are everyday products meant for pairing with your everyday basics to elevate them to the next level or take them in a new slightly exotic direction. They are inspired by creative individuals and local traditions we have encountered along the way. We invite you share these discoveries.
- Heidi & Mark
VERVACIOUS
Weekday Cooking &
Starters and Small Plates
Honeydew Melon Skewers with Vervacious Star Anise
Salt
Winter
Select a mix of berries – raspberries, blackberries,
strawberries, blueberries. Slice strawberries and muddle with just a pinch of
sugar. Plate, drizzle with Vervacious Spiced, Espresso or Chocolate Balsamic.
Garnish with dice of fresh chèvre and a sprig
of mint.
So simple and quick: dredge peeled shrimp in
Vervacious Windward Island Roasting Rub or Vervacious West Indian Roti Rub (or
some of each!) and thread onto skewers.
Broil under medium heat for five minutes, turn and then cook until just
done (don’t overdo it!) This works great for tiny scallops too!
Shaved Fennel Salad with Spiced Balsamic Reduction
You’ll want to use a mandolin or a sharp
knife and a steady hand to slice fennel bulbs as thinly as possible. Dress with
Vervacious Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and then Vervacious Spiced
Balsamic Reduction and finally a sprinkle of Vervacious Bay of Biscay Fleur de
Sel. So simple! By the way, always dress a salad with oil first, then with acid
(balsamic for example) second.
Caprese Salad
Slice fresh mozzarella (preferably buffalo) and alternate with slices of
vine-ripe tomato on a bed of arugula or spring greens. Drizzle with Vervacious
Cold Pressed Olive Oil, Vervacious Bay of Biscay Fleur de Sel, fresh basil and
either Espresso Balsamic Drizzle or Spiced Balsamic Reduction.
Quick Crostini
Grill or broil slices of ciabatta (or
baguette) until toasty. Rub with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle with our Cold
Pressed olive oil and top three ways:
1.
Arugula, sliced cold roast (turkey, beef, chicken, ham...), a dollop of Plum
Balsamic Mostarda, a shaving of parmesan or a crumble of bleu cheese –
topped with a walnut half.
2.
Goat Cheese drizzled with Vervacious Cinque Terre Apricot Mostarda.
3.
Slice grape tomatoes in half and carefully remove seeds. Spread mascarpone on
toast and top with tomato cup and a sprinkle of basil chiffonade
(thin strips.) Fill tomato cups with Vervacious Espresso Balsamic Drizzle and
serve!
Vervacious Azorean Piri Piri
Shrimp Cocktail
The next time you serve shrimp cocktail, swap out
the tired old traditional shrimp cocktail sauce and try Vervacious Azorean Piri
Piri! Bright and fresh with just a
hint of heat.
Grilled Oysters with Basque Piri Piri
Let’s face it: shucking oysters is hard,
messy work. Try this: fire up the grill and grill a dozen whole oysters over
medium heat for 5 minutes. - just set them cupped-
side- down (to hold the oyster liquor) on the grill and that’s it!
They’ll loosen their grip and open right up - serve with Vervacious
Basque Piri Piri - yum! This works under the broiler
too!
Squid & White Bean Salad with Espresso Balsamic
Drizzle
(Inspired by the Bar Pinotxo
in La Boqueria,
Clean squid and cut bodies in ½”
rings. Cook squid in olive oil over high heat for 1 min until just cooked
through and lightly browned. Add ½ cup cooked white beans (use canned
organic in a pinch) and heat through for 30 sec. Dress with a confetti of
parsley mince and drizzle with Vervacious Espresso Balsamic. Serve with a
simple heap of arugula dressed with Vervacious Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive
Oil, Vervacious Bay of Biscay Fleur de Sel and a spritz
of lemon.
Big Plates & Sides
Grilled Grass-fed Sirloin Strip with Espresso
Balsamic Drizzle & Gorgonzola
Grill steak over medium-hot coals until done to
your liking (use the face test - press your steak, press your face and compare:
cheek = rare; chin = medium; forehead = well-done (ruined). Nap with Espresso
Balsamic Drizzle and scatter gorgonzola crumbles all over. Other full-flavored
steaks work well too: hanger, delmonico...
Pan-seared scallops are
fabulous and so easy! The best, easiest way is to use two dry (no oil)
non-stick skillets. Heat the skillets to medium-high heat. Once they’re
hot, blot the scallops on a square of paper towel and place them on end in one
of the skillets. Don’t crowd the skillet – leave a couple inches
around each scallop - that’s one key to success. After three to five
minutes (depending on how big the scallops are), carefully move the scallops
(use tongs) to the other skillet placing them on their uncooked ends. If you
have more scallops to cook, wipe the first skillet clean with a damp ball of
paper towel – a clean skillet is the other key to beautiful seared
scallops! After another three to five minutes the scallops in the second skillet
are done. Transfer them to individual serving plates atop a tiny pool of
Vervacious Espresso Balsamic Drizzle. Dust with Vervacious Saffron Fleur de Sel
and serve!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
with Espresso Balsamic Drizzle
Very easy: Trim ends off brussels sprouts and halve. Coat bottom of a baking
sheet with olive oil, add sprouts & Vervacious Bay of Biscay Fleur de Sel
to taste. Roast in center of a 370o
oven for 45 minutes or so (give them a toss every 15 minutes) until brown on
the edges. Plate and dress with lashings of Vervacious Espresso Balsamic.
Yum...
Dry-poached Sancho Sole
Fresh fillets of sole (or turbot (yum!), flounder, catfish or any thin white
fish fillet), Good Quality Olive Oil, Fresh Ginger cut into matchsticks,
Butter, Scallions, sliced into pieces cross-wise, Fresh basil, julienned,
Vervacious Sancho Sashimi Sauce
In a large non-stick skillet, heat two Tablespoons of oil on medium heat.
Add ginger & scallions and cook 1 minute, then add basil and cook until
just starting to brown then remove from pan and set aside. Add a pat or two of
butter, melt, then arrange fillets in one layer on
bottom of pan. Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cook (without moving or
flipping fillets) until fish is just opaque – don’t overcook
please! Carefully slide fillets out of pan onto a serving platter. Arrange
ginger/scallion/basil on top and drizzle with Vervacious Sancho Sashimi Sauce.
Serve immediately with steamed rice and something green. This technique of
slow-poaching fish in a mixture of olive oil, butter and its own juices works
fabulously for all sorts of fish. We use this technique all the time with cod,
haddock, tilapia, char, salmon...
Grilled Chicken
Featuring: Vervacious Rubs (
The best chicken parts for grilling are bone-in legs and thighs (with
skin intact). They cook quickly and evenly, crisp up beautifully and are hard to
over-cook.
Place chicken skin-side-up on a medium-heat grill (we love lump charcoal
but gas works fine). Close the cover and cook, moving as necessary to a cooler
part of the grill when flare-ups occur. After twenty minutes turn the chicken
over (use tongs, never a fork) and cook uncovered for fifteen minutes or until
the skin is golden-brown and crispy – watch closely and don’t let
them catch! Then turn skin-side up and dust liberally with Vervacious rub of
your choice. Close the cover and cook another ten to fifteen minutes depending
on desired doneness. Remove chicken with a clean set of tongs and arrange one
layer deep on a clean serving platter. Serve with a simple starch (cous-cous or a baked potato) a salad and a side of veg.
Roast Pork Loin with Espresso Balsamic &
Roast pork is delicious provided you don’t
overcook it like your mother did. An internal temperature of 140o is
more than enough. Pink in the middle is good. Honest. And the best cut for
roasting is a boneless top loin roast. Tenderloins are too thin to roast
effectively and should be pan-seared instead. To roast: use a roomy roasting
pan and give the pork loin a good dredging of Vervacious Sahara Harissa rub and
sea salt. Place in the center of a
400o oven. After 20 minutes reduce oven temperature to 350o
and continue roasting until the center reads 125-130o. Remove from
oven, cover with foil and allow to rest until the internal temperature
normalizes (10-15 minutes). Slice, plate and artfully paint with Vervacious
Espresso Balsamic Drizzle.
Vervacious Fried Chicken
Chicken Parts (tip: use the smallest chicken parts you can find as they
will cook quickly and with an improved crust!), Cooking Oil (Peanut is best),
Milk (Heavy Cream or Buttermilk for a thicker crust), Flour, Vervacious Mexican
Chili Pepper Salt
Pre-heat oil in deep fryer to 375º or heat 1” of oil in a
large skillet or dutch oven (use a candy thermometer).
Pre-heat oven to 225º. Add a tablespoon of
Vervacious Mexican Chili Pepper Salt to a cup of flour in a gallon plastic bag.
Dip chicken parts one-by-one in a bowl of milk, then in the bag for a quick
shake, then carefully into the oil. Tip: don’t crowd the pan or the
fryer! The key to great frying is a constant oil temperature and that means
many small batches. If using a skillet on the stove, turn the pieces often.
When the chicken is an even golden-brown – 15 minutes
approximately, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and hold in the oven
until all the chicken is done. Make more flour/chili pepper salt mix as you
need it. Don’t crowd the fryer! Be patient and make small batches.
Vervacious Mexican Chili Pepper Salt works terrific this way as a
coating for fried fish, clams, scallops or
what-have-you.
This recipe is loosely based on Thomas
Keller’s innovative technique of poaching lobster in melted butter.
Decadent and delicious! First, slice white part of leeks lengthwise and then
into ¼” crosswise slices. Sweat leeks over low heat in a blend of
butter and olive oil until limp – do not brown! Meanwhile, Place live
lobsters in a large stock pot and carefully pour boiling water over to cover
lobsters completely. After five minutes remove lobsters and carefully remove
meat from tails and claws. Split tails lengthwise and devein. Finish cooking
lobster tails and claws in butter over low heat until just opaque. Arrange a
stack of leeks on each plate then top with tails then claws. Add some shavings
of parmigiano-reggiano then dribble with Vervacious Espresso Balsamic.
Spectacular!
Medallions of Venison with Spiced Balsamic
Reduction
Venison pairs perfectly with woody spices such as
juniper and allspice. So naturally, Vervacious Spiced Balsamic Reduction is the
perfect match. Venison should always be gently sautéed in a mix of olive
oil and butter – never roasted or grilled. Sauté to taste, allow
to rest five minutes, plate and drizzle artfully with pan jus and Vervacious
Spiced Balsamic Reduction.
Pan seared Duck Breast with Curried Balsamic
Searing whole duck breasts on the stovetop is a
French cuisine classic. And it’s incredibly easy. Keep the partially
cooked duck breasts warm in a 225° oven while frying the potatoes. Is there
anything better that potatoes fried in duckfat? Pan
sear a pair of organic duck breasts skin side down in a dry skillet over
medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes.
Set breasts aside and cook sliced potatoes in the
duck fat until crispy. Return breasts to pan skin-side-up & finish cooking
to desired doneness (typically, “magret de
canard” is served rare – try it!). Slice duck breasts thin
cross-wise (hint: skin-side-down for neater slices), season duck and potatoes
with Vervacious Fleur de Sel & Tellicherry Pepper. Fan duck slices on plate
and drizzle with Vervacious Curried Balsamic.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Curried Balsamic
Halve acorn squash from stem to stern and neatly
scoop out seeds and guck. Place in roasting pan cut-side-down and add
½” water. Roast in center of a 370o oven for 45 adding
additional water as needed. Plate cut-side up with a pat of butter in the
hollow and Vervacious Curried Balsamic drizzled artfully around the rim of the
squash. Ta-da!
Olive Oil Poached Cod with Vervacious Finishing
Salt
We love preparing fish this way. You have perfect
control over the degree of doneness. Works great with any
white fish, salmon – well any fish that flakes really. Add
¼- ½” of good olive oil on the bottom of a large skillet.
Arrange fish filets and apply low to medium-low heat. The goal is to slow-poach
the filets in the oil, not to fry them. A little bubbling of the fish juices is
okay but that’s it. Cook uncovered until the fish flakes and the flesh
just turns opaque – it could be a half-hour, 40 minutes or more so be
patient, it’s worth it. Plate filets and sprinkle with the Vervacious
Finishing Salt of your choice: Spicy Curry, Sicilian Sumac, Sichuan Pepper,
Saffron Fleur de Sel...
Vervacious Spicy Lobster Salad
Mince lobster meat and some organic celery and mix
with a dollop of quality mayonnaise (Hellman’s for instance) and just a
spoonful of either Vervacious Harissa Spiced Hot Mustard or Vervacious Masala
Mustard. Serve on a bed of butter lettuce or in a hot dog bun the
Roasted
Dice sweet potatoes in ¾” cubes (no
need to peel!) Coat bottom of a baking sheet with olive oil, add sweet potato
cubes and a generous dusting of Vervacious Sahara Harissa. Roast in center of a 370o
oven for 45 minutes or so (give them a toss every 15 minutes) until brown on
the edges.
Or try this: Roast whole sweet potatoes until soft.
Meanwhile prepare a composed butter of softened butter and Vervacious Sahara
Harissa. Split potatoes and serve with a generous dollop of Sahara Harissa
butter! This butter is a knock-out with corn-on-the-cob too by the way.
Cheese & Dessert
Cheese Flight featuring Vervacious Cheese
Complements
A cheese course is so much more than cheese and
crackers. And with so many great artisanal cheeses available today from here
and abroad, why not serve a flight of cheeses paired with olives, nuts and of
course Vervacious Cheese Complements? Here’s how: Arrange small samples
of a variety of cheeses (four? eight? twelve? – the
more the merrier!) on a large plate in a circle
starting with the mildest and working clock-wise to the strongest. Serve with
slices of crusty baguette and/or artisanal crackers. Pair American-made sharp
cheddar with Vervacious Coffee Apple Butter or Apple Orange Confit -
they’re meant for each other! Try roquefort
(or any bleu) with Black Mission Fig Paste and a shaving of prosciutto. Rich,
creamy chèvre is perfect with Vervacious
Peppered Pear Cheese Complement. Cinque Terre Apricot Mostarda and Plum
Balsamic Mostarda are both outstanding with hard sheep’s milk cheeses
such as pecorino romano and manchego.
Vanilla Gelato with Strawberries & Vervacious
Chocolate Balsamic
European Hot Chocolate
5 T. Vervacious Cocoa - any flavor, 1 T. flour, 1 cup whole milk
This thick, rich, hot chocolate is served in cafes from
Frozen Hot Chocolate
4 T. of Vervacious Cocoa, ½ cup whole milk (or cream, even
better!)
Add Vervacious Cocoa to 1/2 cup milk or cream. Blend with 1 ½
cups of ice until smooth. Makes 16 ounces. Your kids
may like a pinch or two of extra sugar.
Molten
Featuring: Vervacious Cocoas & Vervacious Apple
7 T. Vervacious
Butter six 4 ounce ramekins well and flour. Melt remaining butter in
microwave (30 seconds) and blend in Vervacious Cocoa. In another bowl, beat
eggs, yolks and sugar until pale and foamy. Combine two mixtures then sprinkle
remaining flour over and mix. Pour into ramekins and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Bake @ 425° for 8 minutes. Immediately un-mold: run knife around
edge, cover with plate & invert (wear oven mitts!) Paint plate with
Vervacious Apple Orange Confit or Coffee Apple Butter and serve immediately.
Roasted Tropical Fruits with Vervacious Chocolate
Balsamic
Tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango and
bananas are terrific roasted. Roasting concentrates their sweetness and caramelization adds depth. Arrange slices of pineapple,
mango and/or bananas on a lightly oiled baking sheet – careful not to
crowd. Sprinkle with a bit of white or brown sugar and place under a
medium-heat broiler. Watch carefully! You’re looking for browning not
blackening which would add unpleasant bitterness. Serve warm with Vervacious
Chocolate Balsamic – or try with Warm Bacon Chocolate Balsamic
Vinaigrette (recipe below)!
Warm Bacon Chocolate Balsamic Vinaigrette
So delicious with salads both
sweet and savory. And so
easy! Fry a few strips of quality bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and
mince. Blend equal portions of warm bacon fat, Vervacious Cold Pressed Extra
Virgin Olive Oil and Vervacious Chocolate Balsamic. Add bacon and serve warm. So good...
Earl Grey Crème Brûlée
2 cups heavy cream, 2 T. Vervacious Organic Earl Grey Tea, 5 egg
yolks, ½ cup sugar, ½
cup light brown sugar
Mix tea leaves into cream and microwave 2 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes
then strain. Whisk cream, yolks & sugar together well. Pour into six 4
ounce ramekins and set ramekins in a baking pan. Fill baking pan with hot tap
water halfway up the ramekins’ sides. Bake @ 275° for 50 minutes.
Remove ramekins, chill well then evenly sprinkle brown sugar and caramelize
directly under broiler or, better, use a torch.
