Italian Green Sauce for Fish or Meat
An Italian edition of sauce verte, salsa verde goes with bollito misto, a northern Italian extravaganza of simmered veal, chicken, sausage, tongue, and more; but it's even better with plain poached, steam-poached, grilled, or oven-baked fish. Make it in a processor, following these directions; or, for a finer texture, make it with a mortar and pestle, as directed in the preceding sauce verte recipe. In essence, this is another version of pesto.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about 2 cups; enough for 12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
First toast the walnuts. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a sheet pan. When the oven is hot, transfer the pan to the oven and toast the walnuts for 5 to 10 minutes, being careful not to burn the nuts. Remove from the oven and toss the walnuts in a clean dry kitchen towel, rubbing the nuts to release as much of their bitter tannic skins as you can. (The skins won't disappear entirely, and you don't want them to do so because a little of that bitter tannin is good in the sauce.)
Step 2
Transfer the nuts to a food processor.
Step 3
Add the parsley, basil, garlic, and cornichons. Turn the machine on and add the egg yolk. Continue processing, adding the olive oil in a slow stream, until the sauce is very smooth. Add the vinegar and process to mix well. Taste for seasoning, adding salt, pepper, and more vinegar if necessary.
