Pistachio-crusted Blue Cheese Grape Truffles Recipe

How to make it

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• Using a processor with a sharp blade, pulse the pistachios until they are finely chopped. (Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl after every pulse or the pistachios will be turned into paste). They can be chopped by hand if a processor is not available.
• Once chopped, transfer the pistachios to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and dry in a 200-degree oven for one to one and a half hours. Stir the pistachios every ten minutes. If your oven has convection, turning the fan on high will speed up the drying process. When the pistachios are dry, remove them from the oven and let them cool to room temperature before transferring into a shallow bowl or pie pan.
• Purée the blue cheese with the water in a blender till smooth. Add the cream and purée approximately five to ten seconds till the mixture starts to slightly thicken. (If the mixture from the blender gets too thick, remove it and add a little more water to thin it down.)
• Place the mixture from the blender into a bowl and add the salt and pepper. Reserve the mixture in a refrigerator for ten minutes prior to use.
• To assemble: Dip a grape into the blue cheese mixture and shake off an excess cheese. Roll the blue cheese coated grape in the chopped pistachios and place on a plate. You can use a fork to facilitate the dipping and rolling of the grapes. When all the grapes are crusted with the pistachios, chill the entire plate for at least ten minutes or until needed. Serve.
• By Bill Brodsky, executive chef, Twenty-Eight Atlantic at the Wequassett Inn, Cape Cod
• Makes one dozen truffles