Tip from the chef: Grapes

During this period of wine fairs and harvests, we only think about grapes in wine bottles.  So I must remind you, although you obviously already know, that the grape is also a fruit which can be eaten as it is. Fruit salads, tarts and desserts of all kinds are other uses for grapes, not to mention raisins, of course.

 

The grape, to be eaten raw, should be well washed in cold water with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar, and dried carefully. Grapes have a high water content and contain high levels of copper and other good things: potassium, iron, vitamins and trace elements. To check the quality of a bunch, make sure that the grapes are of equal size, firm and not too tightly packed. Moreover, the skin of the grape should be slightly waxy, indicating the presence of bloom, which only remains for a short amount of time after picking. Grapes can be eaten raw, but also cooked in recipes such as quail with grapes, calf’s liver, duck, pigeon and in desserts, such as tarts, rice-based desserts and jam (known as “raisiné”). In short, this fruit which may end up in a bottle is also a real fruit which you can eat and cook with. Not remembering that is an injustice which I am trying to put right today.