Verrines
I first learned about verrines in the L.A. Times food section published on February 28, 2007. According to the article the word verrine refers to the glass itself; literally it means "protective glass". At the time of publication, verrines were considered to be the hottest trend in Paris.
Verrines can be a dessert, a salad or an appetizer, and can be served at almost any meal. It is a layered dish served in a glass container. It is a perfect holiday dish. At Easter the layers can be in pastels- on patriotic holidays they can be in red, white, and blue- at Christmas choose red and green with gold flakes. They take some time to prepare but they can be done ahead of time.
Examples of layers:
1) A breakfast dish: scrambled eggs, ham "bites", mushrooms, blueberries, hollandaise sauce. 2) Cocktail hour: Guacamole, mini heirloom tomatoes, re-fried beans, black olives, salsa, seasoned sour cream.
3) Dessert: Chocolate mousse, rice pudding, caramelized almonds, raspberry sauce.
Always there are distinct layers that are visible through the glass. I recently found a recipe for a verrine in my Elle Decor magazine- Jul/Aug 2014.
Every issue features a recipe by Daniel Boulud called "Daniel's Dish". In this latest issue he featured a verrine of Pistachio Pound Cake layered with white chocolate, lemon verbena mousse, sweet cherries with kirsch liquer, and cherry jam.
In my version I used his recipe for the pound cake but substituted Rainier cherries for the darker Bing cherries and my own microwaved cherry jam using again the Rainier cherries. I used heat proof glass coffee cups to layer the ingredients.
Examples of layers:
1) A breakfast dish: scrambled eggs, ham "bites", mushrooms, blueberries, hollandaise sauce. 2) Cocktail hour: Guacamole, mini heirloom tomatoes, re-fried beans, black olives, salsa, seasoned sour cream.
3) Dessert: Chocolate mousse, rice pudding, caramelized almonds, raspberry sauce.
Always there are distinct layers that are visible through the glass. I recently found a recipe for a verrine in my Elle Decor magazine- Jul/Aug 2014.
Every issue features a recipe by Daniel Boulud called "Daniel's Dish". In this latest issue he featured a verrine of Pistachio Pound Cake layered with white chocolate, lemon verbena mousse, sweet cherries with kirsch liquer, and cherry jam. In my version I used his recipe for the pound cake but substituted Rainier cherries for the darker Bing cherries and my own microwaved cherry jam using again the Rainier cherries. I used heat proof glass coffee cups to layer the ingredients.
Microwaved Rainier Cherry Jam
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| Cherry Jam and Pistachio Cake |
2 cups Rainier cherries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Kirschwasser
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon butter
Puree one cup of the cherries. Pit and chop the second cup cherries. Place in a large, microwave-safe glass bowl (3-quart or more). Add other ingredients. Cover.
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| Finished Verrines |
Cook on HIGH for 15 minutes stirring every 2 minutes after it comes to a boil. Watch carefully to prevent boiling over. It makes about 2 cups of jam. Pour into sterile glass jars.
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| Toasting the Pistachios |
