Sauce Romesco, Salsa Verde and Mango Salsa
A nicely made condiment can make even the most boring dish amazing... I'll give you 3 easy recipes for 3 different meals!
Romesco Sauce
This is a Catalan sauce that is made of roast capsicums, almonds, bread and olive oil. It goes well with anything off the barbecue, but works best with seafood!
You will need...
1 jar of roasted capsicums**
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 slice bread (vienna or sourdough work well)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Method...
1. Soak the bread in the vinegar and olive oil.
2. In a mortar and pestle, bash the almonds and garlic to a fine paste, add the bread, salt, pepper and paprika and crush all together.
2. Chop up the capsicum finely and add to the almond paste and continue to smash all the ingredients together until they form a nice paste- it doesn't have to be super smooth, just to your liking.
3. Serve over grilled fish, prawns or squid with chopped basil to garnish.
**or, you can get 2 capsicums, roast them in a hot oven until the skin is blackened. Place them into a large bowl or container and cover tightly with gladwrap until they're cool. Peel the skin off and take out the seeds.
Salsa Verde
Literally meaning green sauce, this lovely bright and light salsa goes perfectly with beef or even tossed through a pasta, it can cut through heavy dishes to add a lightness and a splash of colour! To make it last longer without oxidising- cover with a line layer of olive oil and store in an airtight container in the fridge
You will need...
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 bunch mint
1/2 bunch basil
2 Tbs capers (the small, salted variety are the best)
1 garlic clove
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Method...
1. Wash the herbs, then pick the leaves from the stems. Use a very sharp knife or mezzaluna to chop the herbs as fine as you can.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with a little salt and add the capers. Add the herbs, vinegar, olive oil and pepper and lightly pound to infuse.
**Use your food processor if you have one, just make sure your blades are sharp.
Mango Salsa
Well, this one speaks for itself! Such a summery dish, this will go well with almost anything! Chicken, seafood, ham or pork, lamb or just in a salad.. Whatever you like!
You will need...
1 large ripe mango, peeled
1/2 small spanish onion
1/2 Lebanese cucumber
1/4 bunch coriander
1/4 bunch mint
1 large red chilli (if you like a lot of spice you can opt for a couple of birds eyes)
1 lime, juiced
1 kaffir lime leaf, shredded (optional)
Method...
1. Dice the mango, cucumber and onion all about the same sized (about 1cm square is a good size)
2. Wash and pick the herbs, and roughly chop them
3. Slice the chilli (discard the seeds and remove the membrane if you don't want too much heat)
4. Combine all the ingredients together with the lime juice. YUM!!
Romesco Sauce
This is a Catalan sauce that is made of roast capsicums, almonds, bread and olive oil. It goes well with anything off the barbecue, but works best with seafood!
You will need...
1 jar of roasted capsicums**
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 cup olive oil
1 slice bread (vienna or sourdough work well)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
salt and pepper
Method...
1. Soak the bread in the vinegar and olive oil.
2. In a mortar and pestle, bash the almonds and garlic to a fine paste, add the bread, salt, pepper and paprika and crush all together.
2. Chop up the capsicum finely and add to the almond paste and continue to smash all the ingredients together until they form a nice paste- it doesn't have to be super smooth, just to your liking.
3. Serve over grilled fish, prawns or squid with chopped basil to garnish.
**or, you can get 2 capsicums, roast them in a hot oven until the skin is blackened. Place them into a large bowl or container and cover tightly with gladwrap until they're cool. Peel the skin off and take out the seeds.
Salsa Verde
Literally meaning green sauce, this lovely bright and light salsa goes perfectly with beef or even tossed through a pasta, it can cut through heavy dishes to add a lightness and a splash of colour! To make it last longer without oxidising- cover with a line layer of olive oil and store in an airtight container in the fridge
You will need...
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/2 bunch mint
1/2 bunch basil
2 Tbs capers (the small, salted variety are the best)
1 garlic clove
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Method...
1. Wash the herbs, then pick the leaves from the stems. Use a very sharp knife or mezzaluna to chop the herbs as fine as you can.
2. In a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic with a little salt and add the capers. Add the herbs, vinegar, olive oil and pepper and lightly pound to infuse.
**Use your food processor if you have one, just make sure your blades are sharp.
Mango Salsa
Well, this one speaks for itself! Such a summery dish, this will go well with almost anything! Chicken, seafood, ham or pork, lamb or just in a salad.. Whatever you like!
You will need...
1 large ripe mango, peeled
1/2 small spanish onion
1/2 Lebanese cucumber
1/4 bunch coriander
1/4 bunch mint
1 large red chilli (if you like a lot of spice you can opt for a couple of birds eyes)
1 lime, juiced
1 kaffir lime leaf, shredded (optional)
Method...
1. Dice the mango, cucumber and onion all about the same sized (about 1cm square is a good size)
2. Wash and pick the herbs, and roughly chop them
3. Slice the chilli (discard the seeds and remove the membrane if you don't want too much heat)
4. Combine all the ingredients together with the lime juice. YUM!!
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