Salsa verde, green sauce, is one of those ubiquitous sauces you never really think about, but would have to invent if it didn't exist. It adds wonderful zest to boiled dishes, especially fish, but also boiled beef and even boiled potatoes. It also figures prominently in a number of dishes, including bollito misto alla piemontese (piemontese-style boiled dinner) and caponata di pesce (fish salad).
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces (50 g) anchovy filets, rinsed and boned
- 1 ounce capers (25 g, or a couple of tablespoons; I prefer salted to pickled), rinsed,
- soaked briefly in tepid water, and drained well
- 1 ounce (25 g) canned tuna (quite optional)
- 1 clove garlic
- A large bunch of parsley, minced
- Vinegar or lemon juice, to taste - figure 1/4 to 1/3 cup and perhaps more
- Salt as necessary
- Pepper to taste
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
- Meat broth, if necessary (optional; old recipes call for it)
- Fresh mint, basil, or thyme, minced (optional)
Preparation:
Combine the solid ingredients and blend them with the vinegar, whirring the blender until the leaves are finely minced and the texture is fairly creamy. At this point blend in the olive oil as well, using short bursts lest it begin to emulsify the way it does when used to make home-made mayonnaise, and impart an unusual creamy yellow-green color to the sauce. Check seasoning, and it's ready.
The consistency of the sauce should be fairly liquid, though not watery; add a little broth if need be. If you chose not to include the tuna, increase the capers and anchovies by a proportionate amount. You can also, if you want a firmer sauce, soak some Italian bread in vinegar, press it dry, and blend it into the sauce. Keep in mind that the primary ingredient should be in any case parsley, perhaps with a minor addition of other fresh herbs.
The consistency of the sauce should be fairly liquid, though not watery; add a little broth if need be. If you chose not to include the tuna, increase the capers and anchovies by a proportionate amount. You can also, if you want a firmer sauce, soak some Italian bread in vinegar, press it dry, and blend it into the sauce. Keep in mind that the primary ingredient should be in any case parsley, perhaps with a minor addition of other fresh herbs.
