Mint is a key ingredient in one of my favourite base sauces, salsa verde. A jar of well-made salsa verde in the refrigerator is a blessing in any kitchen. You can brush it on foods just off the grill, or toss it with boiled, still-warm vegetables with a little olive oil and sweet butter. Even spread on sandwiches or stirred last-minute into soups and sauces, the fresh spearmint in salsa verde gives everything a lift.
Servings: Makes about ¾ cup.
Ingredients
¼ cup spearmint leaves
½ cup basil leaves
1 cup Italian parsley leaves
1 clove garlic
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon grain mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Method
Coarsely chop the herbs. Place in a blender with remaining ingredients except the lemon juice.
Blend until relatively smooth. This will require stopping the machine several times to scrape down the sides so that the blades make contact with the solids. How smooth you make it is entirely up to you.
The sauce can also be made with a mortar and pestle; it will have a much nicer, if more rustic, texture. However, the smoother version from the blender makes for a better sauce in the finished dish below.
Add the lemon juice just prior to using the sauce. This will ensure a bright green colour.
This recipe will keep well for about 3 days in the fridge, tightly wrapped.
Keith Froggett is co-owner and executive chef of Scaramouche in Toronto.