Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4-6 as a Sauce Recipe: Azlin Bloor
The Italian Salsa Verde is a sharp, piquant, salty and herby green sauce that will electrify your senses and leave them hysterical in anticipation of the next mouthful! Really!
To many, if not most, people on the other side of the Atlantic (the US side), salsa verde refers to the Mexican Salsa Verde, made with fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), tomatillos and green chillies. However, to those of us on this side, salsa verde refers to the Italian version, made with fresh parsley, capers, anchovies and vinegar.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp capers in salt
- 4 anchovies (in salt or in oil)
- 1/2 slice day old white bread
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 oz large handful flat leaf parsley
- 1 large boiled egg yolk (optional)
- 1 medium clove garlic
- 1/2 cup EV olive oil – you might not need all
Instructions
- Rinse the capers and place them in a small bowl of room temperature water to soak while you get the other ingredients ready.
- Do the same with the anchovies if they are salted, if in oil, just pat them dry with a kitchen paper.
- Tear the bread up, place in a small saucer, and pour the vinegar over, squashing down the bread to soak the vinegar up.
- Using a large, sharp knife, chop up the parsley until fine, place in a medium sized bowl.
- Mash the egg yolk up, if using, and add to the parsley.
- Smash the garlic up with the side of a knife, and chop up finely, or just mince it with a garlic crusher, which I do. Add to the bowl with parsley.
- Rinse the capers again, and chop up with the mezzaluna or knife, fairly finely. Add to the bowl.
- Mash the anchovies up with a fork. Add to the bowl.
- Mash the bread up with a fork, and add the whole lot to the bow, including any drips of vinegar.
- Now, add half the olive oil, and mix it all up thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Keep adding the olive oil until you are happy with the consistency of your salsa verde. I like mine fairly thick and sloppy. It does depend on what you want to use it for as well. Make it on the dry side if it’s going to be a spread or topping.
Here are other ways to enjoy this most tantalising of green sauces:
- as an accompaniment to fish, especially grilled (broiled) and barbecued
- as a dip for all sorts of vegetables, bread stick and crisps
- as a salad dressing
- fantastic stirred into potato salad, mixed in with salad cream or mayonnaise, or even, just on its own
- it makes a wonderful pizza sauce or topping too
- it makes a great topping for canapés