Sauce Vierge (fresh French sauce / salsa)
Sauce Vierge is a French sauce made from diced tomatoes, olive oil, fresh herbs and lemon juice. It pairs especially well with seafoods, such as the Tuna Steak I shared today.Sauce Vierge was popularised by Michel Guérard, a French chef who championed nouvelle cuisine (literally, "new cuisine") in the 1970's, a food style which emphasised freshness, simplicity, and lightness. Really, this sauce couldn't be a better expression of this style of French cooking!Serve with white meats (chicken, pork), vegetables, use as a salsa-type dip (corn chips, mini crostini), pile onto toasted bread to make bruschetta or crostini, pile over an omelette or frittata, or corn fritters! Great made on the day, even better the next day!
Ingredients
- 5 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tomatoes , seeded and diced into 0.8cm (1/3") cubes (Note 1)
- 12 black olives , pitted and cut into strips (Spanish, kalamata, or other)
- 2 anchovy fillets , very finely minced (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp garlic , very finely minced
- 1 tsp parsley , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp chives , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp tarragon leaves , finely chopped (Note 3)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Mix: Mix ingredients in a bowl. Taste and add more salt if you want (depends how salty the food you are putting it on is).
- Uses: Use at room temperature as a salsa / sauce, piled onto fish (such as Tuna Steak), other seafood, grilled or steamed vegetables, chicken, pork, over pasta, piled onto bread, or even as a dip for scooping up with crostini or corn chips! You can also warm the sauce if you wish: Gently heat in a small pot and warm to blood temperature. Do not simmer or boil or you'll lose the freshness!
- Storage: Use immediately on making, or the next day. Keep in a very airtight container and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Tomato – Halve then use a teaspoon to scrape out the watery insides and seeds. Dice finely.
- Anchovy fillets – This gives the sauce an extra complexity and umami that makes it that much more delicious.
- Substitutions:
- Herbs – This is a really great combination of fresh herbs that gives the sauce an elegant and fresh flavour, with the tarragon giving it a distinctly French touch. But if you don't have them, you can use:
- Every Sauce Vierge recipe is different so don't feel this is dogma!
- Fish for Sauce Vierge - try:
- Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings.
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce + pinch of extra salt (leave Sauce Vierge for 20 minutes to let flavour meld) - best alternative
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire + extra salt (non fish sub)
- All parsley (flatlet best, curly ok too);
- Half parsley, half chives
- Alternatively: Basil and chervil also are great to include / substitute
- Pan fried fish
- Tuna Steak (Sauce Vierge is featured in this recipe)
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 205
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 205cal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 4g | 1% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 338mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 178mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 580IU | 12% |
| Vitamin C | 12mg | 13% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.