Grapes Rolled in goat's cheese with Pistachio crust

(from Wild, Wild East: Recipes & Stories from Vietnam by Bobby Chinn)

MANILA, Philippines - “This is a dish I learned when cooking in France with Yaffa Edry. It is so simple and I have yet to meet anyone who did not enjoy it. The juicy, sweet grapes are offset by the saltiness of the creamy goats’ cheese with the chopped pistachio nuts. These little mouthfuls are fun to serve at cocktail parties and work very well with both red and white wine. 

At the restaurant we usually serve them as an amuse bouche, but for those who like serving fruit and cheese after a meal this is a good and unusual option.” 

Ingredients:

250 grams   chilled soft goats’ cheese

300 grams   red grapes, preferably seedless

180 grams   pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Instructions: 

Take the grapes from their stalks, twisting them off. You do not want to pull them off, as the skin will tear and it will absorb too much of the cheese. I like to chill the grapes in the refrigerator. 

Using a melon baller, or your fingers, scoop or roll the chilled goat cheese into 10g balls. 

Press each cheese ball down in the palm of your hand. Place the grape in the middle of the cheese, and with both hands, quickly roll the grape back and forth until the grape is fully coated with the goat cheese. You can do up to this stage a day in advance. 

Fill a large bowl with chopped pistachio nuts, throw in the cheese-coated grapes and roll them in the chopped nuts until totally coated. It is easier if the cheese is a little soft. So you do not want to take these out from the fridge just before starting the rolling process. 

With a sharp knife, cut each in half and serve.