By Chris, January 27, 2020

Grapes. Nature’s candy. Perfectly sweet, portable, and deliciously crunchy. I can go on and on. I love them in fruit salad, they are a main component in Chicken Waldorf salad, they elevate a charcuterie board by bringing color and crunch, and I love, love to freeze them and snack on frozen grapes in the summer! So…….why have I not tried roasting them until now?????!!!! In all honesty, I’ve thought about roasting them for years, but for one reason or another I just hadn’t gotten around to it. Until tonight. I already had planned on making pork Milanese, sautéed zucchini, and a mixed green salad with a lemon vinaigrette. When I opened my fridge to gather my ingredients to start my dinner prep work, I noticed the grapes that were just sitting there having lost a bit of their crunch. That very moment it clicked! I thought, tonight’s the night!

I figured these roasted grapes would make a great addition to the pork by adding a fresh new flavor profile in place of applesauce. Roasting the grapes brings out their natural sugars which results in the outside of the grape blistering and caramelizing, while the inside gets a concentrated grape flavor that resembles jam. It’s quite delicious and adds a touch of elegance to any meal while being both easy to make and very affordable.

Are you ready???

I chose a small bunch of grapes for this. Make sure you wash your grapes well. They tend to be dirtier than you may think. Dry them well. You want the seasonings we are going to add to stick to the grapes.
Once washed and dried, I lay them in a small roasting pan. Not too small. You want them to have a little bit of room so they aren’t over crowded. I then drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and tonight I added dried rosemary for a touch of savoriness, however you can omit the rosemary if it’s not your thing.
This is what they look like after 30 minutes of roasting in the oven at 425 degrees. What do you do with these beauties after they are roasted? I used them two ways tonight, and here are the pics. I have various options in the notes below .
Here they are making their debut with the pork milanese. Crispy thin pork cutlets breaded and fried to golden perfection. Perfectly roasted red grapes add the perfect amount of sweetness and robust caramelized flavor. Eaten together, it’s a power house of flavor!
I couldn’t resist topping my mixed greens salad with these jeweled toned roasted grapes. Their intense jam-like texture and flavor elevated this salad, adding a new exciting flavor which paired really well with the lemon vinaigrette.

Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of red grapes, washed, dried, and snipped into small clusters
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry the grapes. Snip any large bunches into smaller clusters. Place the grapes on a sheet pan. Sprinkle on the olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary (If you are using rosemary). Gently toss to coat. Arrange them on the sheet pan so they are not over crowded. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the grapes are blistery and caramelized.

Notes:

  • Serve it alongside Pork Milanese like I did tonight.
  • Serve alongside grilled meats or chicken.
  • Use as a salad topper. (I seriously enjoyed the grapes in the salad).
  • Use to top crostini. Why not try crostini with herbed ricotta and roasted grapes? It’s perfect as an appetizer or paired alongside salad for a light, healthy meal.
  • Ice cream anyone? Elevate your ice cream experience by adding some roasted grapes atop vanilla ice cream for a gourmet sundae.

I hope you enjoyed the above suggestions. The possibilities are endless.

Why not try incorporating roasted grapes with your next meal? I’d love to hear what you come up with. Comment below.

Thanks,

Chris