salsa verde: the sauce that goes with everything
Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 09:31AM 
Mahi mahi with salsa verde, broiled baby tomatoes and shallots.
This tart, bright, creamy sauce from Nigel Slater is one of my favorite everyday sauces. It goes with just about any fish or meat and is especially tasty paired with roasted or broiled tomatoes and shallots. It's even great with pasta.
As I was researching this recipe, I discovered that 'green sauce' is a term that is used widely in Italy, France, and Germany to mean an herb-based sauce (the French use tarragon and call it sauce verte; the Italians use parsley and capers and call it salsa verde; and the Germans use borage, sorrel, chives, and chevril and called it Grüne Sosse).
Nigel calls this recipe 'salsa verde' because it's most similar to the Italian version, but he adds mint and lemon, which paired with anchovy, capers, parsley, and basil, gives the sauce a mysterious, name-that-flavor quality.
Salsa Verde
Serves 4 - 6a large bunch of parsley, stalks removed
6 bushy sprigs of mint
a large handful of basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon or so of Dijon mustard
8 anchovy fillets, rinsed
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juicePlace everything except the olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Then slowly pour in the olive oil. Add the lemon juice at the end and season with salt and pepper.
Gemelli pasta with green sauce, broiled baby tomatoes and shallots.
Reader Comments (17)
gorgeous photos. great recipes. nice clean writing style. i'd love to get a few food photo tips. please share. what camera/lens are you using?
Thanks, saucytart! I use a Canon 20D camera with a 17-85 mm image stabilizer lens and a 580EX external flash for my everyday pictures. For zoom, I use a Canon 70-200 mm f/2.8L image stabilizer lens. All the D.C. fish market shots in the previous posting were taken with the zoom.
The best tip I can give you is to buy an external flash, especially if you're limited on the amount of natural light you have. The mahi mahi fish with green sauce shot was taken after dark using only the light in my kitchen and an external flash. I pointed the flash to the ceiling to 'bounce' the light. Bouncing, or diffusing, light gives people beautiful flesh tones and gives food a nice, warm glow. Nothing compares to natural light though and I try to shoot as much as I can in natural light. In fact, when I took a food photography course, my natural light shots were way better than my studio light shots. Natural light is gorgeous and if you don't want to spend a lot of money on a fancy camera and flash, start there. Put your food up by the window and get in low and close. Low is key. Don't stand above your food. Shoot it as if you're having a conversation with it. And fill your frame. I hope that helps!
This looks fantastic. Love the photos!
Yum! This Salsa Verde looks exactly what I am after, and I believe you that it really DOES go with everything.
Such great photos girl! You really have good taste and a great eye.
Thanks, redmenace! I'm glad you like the photos!
Hot Garlic: Thanks for your comment! I could probably eat this sauce every night and not get tired of it.
I'm going to be berated again for not wanting to include anchovies in our latest version of salsa verde. I love this salsa verde on that gorgeous mahi-mahi. Beautiful food, beautiful photos.
Salsa verde is one of go to sauces and it always satisfies. Gorgeous photos!
We have some halibut at home. I am going to make this one for sure!
That pasta looks really good. I like the charred tomatoes in it.
Thanks, Dragon! I'm glad you like the photos.
Maria: Let me know how it turns out!
Thanks, Kevin. That charred tomato was a, eh-hem, mistake, so I'm glad you like! :)
Angela, it's so true, Salsa Verde goes with so many things. I haven't seen your specific recipe before but will try this the next time I make it. I like the Dijon component. I use SV over roasted salmon with bucatini and watercress...mmmm!!!
--chefectomy
I am authentic Italian. this recipe is definietly NOT.
Louise ("therealchiffonade")
Senior Adviser, SeriousEats
Thanks, Marc! I love the idea of SV with salmon over bucatini and watercress. Great combo!
Louise: I point out in my blog that this recipe is "the most similar to the Italian version" as opposed to the French or German versions which use completely different sets of herbs. There's no claim that this is authentic Italian. If you have an authentic Italian version of salsa verde, though, I'd love to see it!
I have very few of my own teeth and am always looking for great sauces to go with my polenta.
This one looks fabulous!
Thanks!
The REAL "DocChuck" has all of his teeth, is presently in South Dakota enjoying prime cuts of American buffalo, and uses salsa verde on many of his Southwestern dishes.
DocChuck and his wife, Doctor E, have just purchased another new motel in the Black Hills area and will be returning to our headquarters in Maryland shortly, where we really enjoy fine Mexican food (especially heavy on the salsa).
The impostor above apparently has a jealousy problem.
My profile is here: http://profiles.aim.com/d0cchuck
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I sincerely apologize for my husband's disruptive behavior.
He's been on edge waiting for the wire transfer from Mr. Williams Kabor with the African Development Bank Group.
I'll see that he gets back on his medication right away.
Thanks, 'real' Docchuck! Glad you're doing well. Have a great trip back to Maryland!
Docchuck imposters: Please do not post on this site.