Last month I shared my
picks for the five best cookbooks of 2015 (here). Like many cookbook
commentators and critics, I really
liked Travis Jett’s Gjelina, and the
book made my “Best Of” list. From cover-to-cover, Jett’s cookbook offers
tempting recipes for straightforward, bold food.
One of my favorite
chapters in Gjelina is Condiments and
Pickles. Lett shares his take on classics such as charmoula, gremolata, chimichurri and harissa. I particularly like his Parsley Salsa Verde, which is easy
to make from ingredients readily available year round. Although many salsa verde recipes include mustard
and/or egg, Lett keeps his version of this Italian sauce simple with grated
lemon zest and red pepper flakes adding zing. He writes that the sauce “brings
a lovely herbaceous briny note to things like grilled squid, grilled eggplant,
and wood-roasted sunchokes.” I think it tastes really good with Roast Chicken (here).
Lett’s recipe makes 1 cup / 210 grams.
3/4 cup [20 g] chopped
fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 anchovy fillets, rinsed
and chopped
1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and
chopped
1 tsp finely grated lemon
zest
Pinch of crushed pepper
flakes
1 garlic clove
2/3 cup [160 ml]
extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
In a small bowl, combine
the parsley, anchovies, capers, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Using a
Microplane grater, grate the garlic into the mixture, add the olive oil, stir
to combine, and season with salt. Allow to stand at room temperature for about
20 minutes.
Store in an airtight
container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature, and
stir in the vinegar just before serving.
Lett writes that “[a]s for
most herb-based sauces, it’s a good idea to make the base ahead of time and
then spike it with vinegar just before using to avoid oxidation.” If you want
to mix things up, you can substitute basil for half of the chopped parsley to
make a basil salsa verde. When my so-called
Roman mint (calamintha nepeta) comes
this this year, I’m adding some to the mix.
A quick note. I used 4
large salt-packed anchovies the first time I made this green sauce. I then
tried the recipe with 10 oil-packed fillets. I prefer the salt-packed version because,
to my taste, it has a better briny flavor. But give both versions a try and see
what you like best.
