SALSA VERDE! AND HOW TO COOK A PERFECT STEAK OR PIECE OF SALMON
SALSA VERDE! AND HOW TO COOK A PERFECT STEAK OR PIECE OF SALMON
PLUS SOME IMPORTANT NEWS
Hello!
This month’s newsletter is dedicated to my favorite sauce - salsa verde. An endlessly versatile green sauce that I come back to again and again because it goes with almost anything. I’m excited for you to have this sauce in your repertoire if you don’t already.
Photos by Ben Turner, whose work you can find here.
But before we get to the recipe I have some important news. I have decided to suspend my recipe newsletter until further notice. I’ve paused all billing indefinitely if you are a paying subscriber (THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!!) so you won’t be charged moving forward (and haven’t been charged for the last month). I have loved sharing recipes with you all, and I have loved shoot days cooking and hanging out with my pal Ben Turner, but the writing part of this newsletter doesn’t bring me joy.
I am continuing to enjoy posting recipes to my stories on my instagram account so please make sure you’re following me there if you want to see more recipes from me.
I am also continuing to focus on my restaurant recommendations - Grace Food Guide. Follow me on instagram or keep your free subscription here for future updates and city guides.
So now with all that out of the way I bring you: SALSA VERDE!
Salsa verde goes with almost anything. It is simple yet complex and enlivens any plain piece of meat or a vegetable. The parsley is green and herbal, the capers are salty and briny, the shallot is sharp and pungent, the lemon zest is bright and aromatic, and the olive oil is bitter and fatty. I give you my most basic recipe below, but then you can play around with other herbs, briny components, pungent ingredients, aromatics, etc.
Here’s a list of everything you should put salsa verde on:
Drizzle over literally any vegetable - boiled potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted squash, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.
It goes with any meat, fish or seafood - salmon, cod, clams, steak, roast chicken, grilled lamb chops, sausages, shrimp, broiled oysters, etc.
Add a little lemon juice or vinegar and it transforms into a salad dressing
Stir a spoonful into a soup - chicken soup, lentil soup, minestrone.
Drizzle over boiled or fried eggs
Stir into a grain salad
Do you have more ideas?? Please share in the comments below.
SALSA VERDE - makes about 1 cup
½ large bunch / about 2oz parsley, finely chopped, including tender stems
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons shallot, minced - about half a large shallot
1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped + a teaspoon or so of their brine
¼ cup decent olive oil
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients except for salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed.
Now here is where you can play -
HERBS
Replace the parsley with cilantro, keep half the parsley and add in tender herbs like dill, tarragon or cilantro, or add in a small amount of chopped sage, rosemary, or thyme.
BRINE
Add a couple chopped anchovies. Add chopped green or black olives, or replace the capers altogether.
PUNGENCY
Add to or replace the shallot with grated raw garlic, chives or thinly sliced scallions.
CITRUS
Swap lemon zest for orange zest or lime zest.
MORE ADD-INS
Chopped pistachios or other nuts, chopped golden raisins, dates, currants or other dried fruit. Segments of lemon or other citrus. Black pepper. Chili flakes. Toasted spices like fennel seeds or coriander. Chopped preserved lemon or cornichons.
TEXTURE
The base recipe has you chop everything by hand, but you could coarsely chop ingredients and then blend it together in a blender or food processor for a more smooth sauce.
HOW TO COOK A PERFECT STEAK
There are many ways to cook a steak well. Many equally good ways. Here is my favorite mess-free method right now:
Use a high sided, heavy bottomed pot. The high sides prevent a splattering greasy mess all over your stove. The only thing here is you do not want to over-crowd your pan or your meat will steam instead of sear.
I’m using 1 ½ inch flat iron steaks here but this method works for any steak.
Set your pot over high heat. Allow to heat undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile season your steaks with salt and pepper.
After your pot has heated thoroughly, add a teaspoon or two of neutral oil (not olive oil).
Gently place steaks in the pot.
Flip steaks every 45 seconds until an instant-red thermometer reaches 122-125F for medium-rare. The amount of time this takes will depend on the thickness of your steaks. Flipping steaks frequently helps to cook the meat more quickly and evenly.
Allow steaks to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing. Rest longer if your steak is huge.
Slice and dress with salsa verde and serve with a lemon wedge.
HOW TO COOK A PERFECT PIECE OF SALMON
To prevent the white albumin from coming out of the salmon while cooking I always season the fish at least an hour before cooking.
When ready to cook turn your oven or toaster oven to broil and allow to pre-heat for about 10 minutes.
Gently rub your fish with olive oil and place skin side up on a foil lined sheet tray (don’t use parchment or it will burn!).
Keep a close eye on your fish because you don’t want the skin to burn. As soon as the skin looks crispy and golden turn the oven off and allow salmon to finish cooking in the residual heat. For a 6-8oz fillet your fish should cook in about 7-10 minutes.
You are looking for 115-120F on an instant read thermometer for a perfect med-rare interior.
Drizzle with salsa verde and serve with a lemon wedge.
That’s it! Thank you SO much for reading my newsletter for the last year and a half. Your support has meant so much to me.
ENJOY!