There was a bunch of parsley in the fridge. Since I was grilling some chicken breasts, I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to whip up some salsa verde as a condiment.
Salsa verde, literally translated as green sauce is really great on fish and grilled meats. And to make it, is really easy – you dump a bunch of parsley, a bit of mint (optional) and basil (optional) in a food processor, add some extra virgin olive oil, some vinegar, a bit of capers, some garlic, a slice of anchovy (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.
The traditional way is to chop everything by hand with a mezzaluna, but nevertheless, doesn’t my sauce look lovely and bright and cheerful? Don’t be deceived at how simple it looks, this sauce packs a punch with it’s flavour notes! I had a very lovely lunch indeed.
There was only one thing that I forgot to keep in mind and I only realised my folly till way later when Cart came back home.
Me : Ohai abang! Welcome back! *smooch!*
Cart : Ehm … I can smell garlic …
Me : * Recoils in horror *
You see, when cooking with ingredients like garlic, the flavours get absorbed by the main bulk components. But when working with raw ingredients, it is much more potent. And I took for granted at how mild garlic tastes like when fried in olive oil that I happily threw in three cloves in the food processor when only one would do.
And then I thought about my session with my driving instructor and then having coffee with Cart and a couple of his colleagues who were working near the driving school and how they have been exposed to my unintentional dragon-breath. And I felt so very embarrassed …
At least I’m protected from cancer for a while.
the salsa verde looks yum…
And it IS yum, do give it a try. It’s so simple to make. Just don’t use too much garlic :p
… and protected from vampires 😛
but i like the color of your salsa verde, looks so fresh and looks yummy 😀
Hahaha! Against vampires, of course … !!
You should try it XY! it tastes really good and it’s quite healthy too. Quite perfect for grilled or boiled meats 🙂
I use garlic almost everyday in my dishes. Since my first encounter with people discretely offering me peppermints, I got the hint n tries to minimise the number of cloves. These days when I’m making garlic butter, I fry them lightly in oil first to decrease the sharp n pungent aroma. Blachan is another item which folks here cant abide ! U can gently toast them in a pancake pan n the smell will disappear. Luckily for me, my hubs appreciates the need for it in order to make yummy curries, so his nose is not twisted out of shape like the rest of his family … haha.
I’ve a friend who was telling me a story about when she cooks curries while in Rome. As soon as she starts to fry the mix, she’ll hear all the windows close … bang bang bang … because it turns out that a lot of Italians cannot take the strong smell! It was so amusing to me … hahahaha
I feel you babe!!! LOLz been there felt that hehehe. Anyway ur salsa Verde looks so appetizing. Yums!
It was really good, Jenny! Try and make them, just ease up on the garlic or you’d end up like me :p