Salmoriglio is a simple southern Italian sauce based on olive oil, lemon, garlic and herbs, traditionally oregano. Parsley is often included and sometimes a little finely chopped rosemary or thyme, some recipes add a little anchovy too. The type and ratio of herbs in salmoriglio varies from cook to cook; I like about half and half parsley and oregano, but you can experiment to find your preferred taste. Most cooks simply whisk all the ingredients together but, in The River Café Cookbook, Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers insist the herbs should be crushed with the salt first to release the essential oils that give them their flavour and aroma. I’m not sure whether it’s traditional, but it sounds like it could be and makes perfect sense so it’s how I make my salmoriglio. This light, bright sauce (pronounced sal-mor-EEL-ee-yo) is perfect with any grilled meat, poultry or seafood and also delicious drizzled over vegetables. I often struggle to pair New Zealand sauvignon blanc with food because of its strong herbal notes – so a herb-rich sauce such as salmoriglio is the perfect match for it. And the one from Deep Down Wines in Marlborough has some interesting complexity too – give it a try. Wondering what to serve your salmoriglio with? I really enjoy it drizzled over grilled swordfish steaks.
Makes about 100ml
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