A. Kane
Each year it happens—I go gaga for one type of food or another. It may be a vegetable (last year it was the cherry tomato), a type of fish (there was the year of fresh sardines), or it may be a dessert (I have been known to bake and to eat multiple clafoutis in one sparkling summer week). Last year I was mad for salsa verde. I eagerly made my first batch again this week, so it may just be that salsa verde is here to stay.
For those of you who have yet to meet this green, parsley-laden sauce, let me be the first to introduce you. Salsa verde is a rustic, Italian sauce. Not at all fussy, not even cooked, it is beautiful to behold, bright in taste, and can be dabbed on a variety of different dishes, from grilled steak, to a piece of succulent chicken, or simply spooned on top of boiled new potatoes.
This is a basic recipe for this sauce, but it is meant to be adapted to your taste. I have been known to add a few tablespoons of minced red onion to the mix. I have squashed a few anchovies for an extra dose of umami flavor. Try it with different herbs besides parsley, like chives and chervil. Some people enjoy the sauce with a sieved hard-boiled egg thrown in. Long story short—this sauce is malleable.
Salsa verde is quick, fresh, and delicious. Spoon some on your plate tonight, and store the rest in the fridge—that is if you even have any left!
Salsa Verde
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, minced
zest of one lemon
juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons capers, minced
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
â…“ cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Finished sauce should be pungent, and mildly acidic.
Adrienne Kane is a writer and photographer. She is the author of a memoir, Cooking and Screaming, and the food blog, nosheteria.com.
