Les Verrines Fraîcheur Tomate, Pesto, et Chèvre
Les Verrines Fraîcheur Tomate, Pesto, et Chèvre·(lay veh-reen fresh-ur toh-maht, pes-toh, ay shev-ruh)
L'Apéro Dînatoire: The Casual Friday Gathering
Friday at six, the stove stays cold and the apéritif dînatoire anchors the evening, serving as the ultimate casual gathering where appetizers entirely replace dinner through vertical layering in juice glasses so you can visually read the flavors before you dig in. Amateurs often mistakenly spread this on a plate like a flat dip, missing the magic completely, but the trick is you cannot use a log of supermarket goat cheese as-is—you have to relax it with a little plain yogurt to make it creamy and elegantly spoonable beneath a slick of jarred pesto. Hand them out with a small spoon, open a bottle, and sit down.
Before you start
Seed the tomatoes to prevent a soggy verrine.
Gently squeeze out the excess watery juices and seeds from your fresh tomatoes before dicing them to ensure a fresh, sturdy base layer.
Ingredients
- Roma, Campari, or heirloom tomatoes3 large
- oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes1/3 cup
- extra-virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- balsamic vinegar1 tsp
- kosher salt1 pinch
- black pepper2 pinch
- plain goat cheese8 oz
- plain whole-milk or Greek yogurt3 tbsp
- garlic powder1/4 tsp
- refrigerated fresh basil pesto1/3 cup
- Ritz crackers1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Macerate the tomatoes to build the fresh base layer.
In a small bowl, toss the diced fresh tomatoes with the sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and one pinch of the black pepper. Let it sit while you prep the cheese so the flavors can marry.
- 02
Relax the goat cheese into a smooth, spoonable mousse.
American goat cheese is far too dry for a proper verrine. Place the room-temperature cheese in a medium bowl, add the yogurt, garlic powder, and remaining pinch of pepper. Vigorously mash and beat with a sturdy fork until it becomes incredibly smooth, light, and spreadable. If it remains stiff, add another small spoonful of yogurt.
- 03
Assemble the verrines vertically in small glasses.
Grab six small glasses—stemless wine glasses or 4-ounce jars work perfectly. Divide the tomato mixture evenly among them, lightly pressing it into the bottom. Spoon or pipe the whipped goat cheese evenly over the tomatoes, then smooth a thin layer of pesto over the cheese.
- 04
Chill the glasses and add the crunch just before serving.
Refrigerate the verrines for at least 30 minutes to firm up the cheese. Right before serving, top each glass with a heavy sprinkle of crushed crackers. Do not add the crunch in advance, or the pesto will make it hopelessly soggy.
Notes
Use Ritz crackers for an authentic French crunch.
In France, home cooks often crush TUC biscuits over their verrines. Ritz crackers have the exact same buttery, salty, slightly sweet profile and make a perfect substitution.
From Cook French in America.