Salsa verde

Salsa verde is lent acidity by both lemon and vinegar. This is important. The lemon brings sharp, clean sharpness, the vinegar a sweeter, more rounded spark. The herbs are fun to choose too. A huge armful of parsley is the main thing, but then you can add backnotes of flavour with what other herbs you bring to the mix: mint for freshness, tarragon for subtle anise-y earthiness, marjoram or thyme for floral notes, basil for its subtle sweetness (though it is not at its best in the winter), coriander for a note of Eastern exoticism. The below is a combination that works for me, but use it as a guide and adapt it to suit you. Makes a comfortable-sized bowl

---

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove

1 ½ tbsp capers

5 anchovy fillets

A bunch of parsley, leaves picked

1 big handfuls of mint leaves

1 big handful of dill, tarragon or marjoram

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lemon

200ml olive oil, the better the quality, the better the taste

Recipe

Finely chop the garlic, capers and anchovies together with a large chopping knife and plenty of energy. Put into a mixing bowl and separately, finely chop the herbs with the same gusto. Add to the mixing bowl and stir in the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and oil. Season to taste – the mixture should taste bright, alive and with some delicious depth to it. You can do all of this in a food processor in fewer minutes if you don’t need the feeling of release that a vigorous chop affords the chopper.