Herby Green Sauces.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
We all approach a bundle of fresh herbs in our own way, stemming from our upbringing, our tastes and terroir – and our ability to keep a basil plant alive on the windowsill. Some pluck a few leaves at a time to tear into pasta or use as garnish, others go through herbs by the bunch, turning them into salads and curries, stir-fries and sauces.
When leafy herbs flourish on kitchen counters and in back gardens, and bunches are bigger and cheaper at farmers’ markets, whizzing up fresh green sauces is an excellent way to bring flavour to just about anything you want to eat, and to extend the life of fragile herbs when you have more than you can keep up with.
Beyond pesto – which can be pricey to make, but a rewarding prize for those who know how to keep basil plants happy – there’s a world of fresh herby green sauces to explore, most of them similar in structure: leafy herbs (parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint), whizzed or mulched in a mortar and pestle with an acid (vinegar, citrus), garlic, chilies and olive oil, and often dry spices such as cumin or cardamom. Add some fresh oregano and shallot to Yemeni zhug and you have Argentinian chimichurri – add some paprika and lemon juice and you have Moroccan chermoula. Swap mint for the parsley and lemon for the vinegar and you have an Indian coriander chutney. There are no hard and fast rules, of course – ingredients and quantities vary by region and cook.
All fresh herby sauces are delicious on practically everything – grilled fish, veggies, meats, tofu, halloumi, flatbread – spooned over eggs and served with stews, used as a marinade, stirred into soft butter to make compound butter, or into yogurt and mayo for a quick dressing or dip. I’ve been known to eat mine by the spoonful, cold from the fridge, or spread it over buttered toast … on its own or topped with an egg or smashed avocado. My friend introduced me to the joy of a Goan-style coriander chutney (made with onion and coconut cream) sandwich on soft buttered white bread – perfect for picnicking. A fresh green sauce is one of the fastest, simplest things to make, and everything it touches turns delicious.
Recipe: Zhug
Zhug is a bright, often fiery Yemeni sauce made with fresh ingredients plus earthy and floral spices such as cumin, coriander and cardamom. It’s amazing spooned over eggs, grilled fish and veggies, tossed into a potato salad, and of course with saltah, a saucy stew many consider to be the national dish of Yemen.
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers (or other hot chili peppers), stemmed, seeded and cut into chunks (or just slice the cheeks off into the food processor and toss the core)
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar (or to taste)
- 1 tsp cumin (or to taste)
- a big pinch of coriander
- a big pinch of cardamom
- a big pinch of salt
- olive oil
Pulse everything but the oil in a food processor (or a good blender), and then start pouring in the oil in a slow stream, enough to keep it moving, scraping the side of the bowl as you need to. (Alternatively, grind it all in a mortar and pestle.) Taste and adjust the salt, garlic, vinegar and spices to suit your taste. Store in a jar in the fridge for up to a week to spoon over everything. Makes about one cup.