Creamy Green Sauce for Boiled Meat: The Original Recipe That Doesn’t Oxidize (Secret of the Vibrant Color)
The Perfect Color Recipe
Problem No. 1: Is your green sauce too acidic, does the parsley oxidize or is it not creamy enough? SOLVED!
The green sauce, though simple, can present oxidation problems (the parsley turns dark), a too pungent taste due to vinegar, or a texture that separates.
The Solution (The Secrets of Color and Cream):
Drying and Chopping: The parsley must be well dried before being chopped and processed cold (not in an immersion blender) to avoid heating and oxidizing it.
Hard-Boiled Yolk and Bread Crumb: The use of sieved hard-boiled yolks and wrung bread crumb is the secret binder that ensures a velvety and homogeneous texture, balancing the acidity of the vinegar.
Resting: Resting for two hours at room temperature is crucial to blend and mitigate the strong flavor of garlic and anchovies.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economic
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients GREEN SAUCE FOR BOILED MEAT
- 4 1/4 oz parsley (Only leaves, well washed and dried.)
- 2 yolks (hard-boiled)
- 2 3/4 oz stale bread (Only crumb)
- 1.7 fl oz white wine vinegar (To soften the crumb and add acidity.)
- 5 1/3 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 3 fillets anchovies in oil (Lightly desalt if very salty.)
- 1 tbsp capers in salt (Desalted)
- 2 cloves garlic (Core removed)
- to taste salt (Add cautiously due to anchovies/capers)
- 1 pinch pepper
Tools
- Small pot
- Bowl
- Mixer
Procedure for Green Sauce for Boiled Meat: How to Maintain the Bright Color
Hard-Boiled Eggs: Cook the eggs in boiling water for 8-9 minutes. Peel them and let them cool. Sieve the yolks only into a large bowl.
Soaking Crumb: Remove the bread crust. Cut the crumb into pieces and place it in a bowl with the white wine vinegar. Let it soak for about 10 minutes.
Garlic and Capers: Peel the garlic and remove the core for better digestibility. Desalt the capers by rinsing them under running water.Aromatic Chop: On a cutting board, finely chop the capers, garlic, and anchovy fillets. Pass the blade over the chop several times until you obtain a well-mixed and fine paste.
Combination: Pour this paste into the bowl containing the sieved yolks.Crumb: Squeeze the bread crumb well with your hands to remove excess vinegar and add it to the other ingredients.
Parsley: Finely chop the parsley leaves (well washed and dried). Add them to the container along with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Oil and Rest: Mix thoroughly and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Let it rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.
The Secret for Longer Storage (And Green):
The Green Sauce is at its peak flavor after the two-hour rest but tends to oxidize over time. For optimal preservation of the bright green color, there’s a trick: once ready, transfer the sauce to a sterilized glass jar and cover the surface with a generous layer of EVO Oil. This sealing oil layer prevents the parsley from contacting the air, blocking oxidation and keeping the color vibrant.
Notes & Tips, Storage and Variants
Boiled Meat and Pairings: Green Sauce is the ideal accompaniment for the classic Mixed Boiled Meat, but it pairs perfectly with steamed fish, hard-boiled eggs, crostini, or even as a base for seasoning grilled meat.
Texture: For a more rustic sauce, chop all the ingredients with a knife. For a finer and creamier texture, you can use an immersion blender, but only for a few seconds, adding oil in a stream to avoid overheating the parsley.
Storage: It keeps in the fridge, well covered by the oil, for about 3-4 days.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Why did my green sauce turn dark so quickly?
Answer: The sauce darkens due to the oxidation of the parsley. The reasons are twofold: 1) the parsley was not perfectly dry before being chopped; 2) it was chopped with a blender that heated it, or it was stored without being covered by a layer of oil.
2. Can I use a blender or mixer to make green sauce?
Answer: Yes, but with caution. To maintain the vibrant color, add the oil and other ingredients and blend intermittently with an immersion blender for just a few seconds. The traditional knife or mezzaluna method is preferable for texture and color.
3. Can I omit the garlic?
Answer: Garlic is a fundamental element for the traditional flavor. To make it more digestible, simply remove the core (the central part) before chopping. It’s not recommended to remove it entirely, but you can reduce it to a single clove.
4. How can I reduce the acidity of the vinegar?
Answer: If the vinegar is too strong, next time you can try replacing part of the vinegar with warm water in the soaking phase of the crumb, or dilute the vinegar with water (about 30 g vinegar and 20 g water).
5. Is the two-hour rest necessary?
Answer: Yes, the rest is crucial. In these two hours, the acidity of the vinegar mitigates, the strong flavors (garlic and anchovies) blend with the oil and the bread crumb integrates perfectly, improving the final consistency of the sauce.
