I made a disastrous thing the other night from Waitrose Kitchen – a Nathan Outlaw recipe for sherry lentils and baked turbot, which called for 100g of sugar for the lentil sauce. I followed the recipe because, you know, I just thought something magical might happen at the end, which would make the lentils covered in sugar edible. Often this kind of alchemy does happen with some of the least promising-looking ingredients. But not this time.
I am assuming that this was just a ghastly misprint because the result was just disgusting. Not even my husband could really eat it and he is an absolute dustbin.
But what he did have was a really great green sauce that went very well with the fish and would also be great with chicken – for example an otherwise dull and unappealing poached breast.
This is not the exact recipe, as the original calls for 3 cloves of garlic – way too many – and he also wants you to hand-chop everything. Sorry, Nathan, but seriously fuck off.
Green sauce for fish or chicken
Makes enough for 4 people
1/2 clove garlic (you could even leave the garlic out completely if you’re not keen on it raw)
2 tbsp capers
6 or so anchovy fillets
2 large gherkins
handful of rocket leaves
handful flat parsley
handful mint leaves
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (or any vinegar you have really)
1 tbsp English mustard
1 Put everything in a blender and whizz up a bit. Now pour in a few sloops of olive oil and blend again. Do this until you have a reasonably runny sauce.
The good thing about this sauce is that it is a “performance” sauce, as in it is very impressive, but it is also easy to make and store in advance so you can make it and have it sitting about for a few days, ready to liven up all manner of hot or cold foodstuffs.
That’s unusual, isn’t it? Waitrose kitchen recipes tend to be very good. Well at least you got a good salsa Verde recipe out of it so all’s not lost
I haven’t made a salsa verde in ages. That’s my dinner sorted. Fish and this with broccoli. Thanks!
I have an American slaw recipe which requires 40g of sugar in the dressing: ridiculous. The green sauce sounds delicious. I’d say definitely leave the garlic out if you’re planning to make it a day or two ahead; in my experience the flavour can become unpleasant and too strong.
I reckon he’s plagiarised that (or maybe adapted) from a deli a recipe for herb mayonnaise. It goes with salmon in her recipe but is seriously amazing, and similarly easy to make.
Sorry, that should say Delia. Bloody Apple.
Loving your blog Esther. Especially grateful for the introduction to Belgian Waffle. Thanks for that.
Oh this sounds yum. Salty, tangy, pickly lushness.