Kent Food - Food From Kent

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Kent Food - Food From Kent

Kentish Apple Verjus -- a medieval ingredient for the 21st Century

Richard Perton, Flavourist and Fresh Produce specialist with Perton's Foods, will soon be munching his way through hundreds of varieties of apples at the Brogdale Orchards in Kent, in order to choose exactly the right combination to blend to create the perfect Apple Verjus for his 2011 vintage. It's worth all the belly-ache to make this very special product.

In the Middle Ages, Verjus, or Verjuice was used in traditional recipes all the way from The Middle East to The Midlands. It is made from the juice of under-ripe fruits and is a softer alternative to vinegar or lemon juice as an acidifier for dressings, sauces, juices and marinades.

However, apart from being used locally in Perigord, France, Verjus has largely been a forgotten ingredient for the last 150 years. A recent re-kindling of interest in the product amongst wine growers has been largely based in the Southern Hemisphere and until Perton's made their first batch in 2010, Verjus had never been made commercially in Britain.

Perton's Foods uses Apples, rather than Grapes to make their Kentish Verjus because the crop is so plentiful and important to the county, although this year they are also doing some trials using cherries, plums and the more traditional grapes all of which are grown locally.

The product is already being used in most of Kent's best restaurants and has also found a home in the menus of some of London's culinary hotspots such as Pied A Terre, The Ledbury and Rowley Leigh's Café Anglais.

It's flavour blends brilliantly with pork, duck, salmon, sardines and other oily fish. And it makes a fabulously soft and light salad dressing, especially with a bit of Kentish Cobnut oil!

For more information contact Richard Perton on 01227 807 880. Or visit www.pertons.co.uk.