Preserved Lemon Salsa Verde
I LOVE a salsa verde moment...and when I say salsa verde, I mean a herby, acidic, slightly-spicy, olive-oil-based condiment.
As I've gone through culinary school, cooked for myself more and more, and worked in food service, I've realized that salsa verde and homemade condiments in general (hii pickles, preserves, homemade hot sauce, etc) are my jam. These types of things are so simple but add the most incredible layers of flavor to any dish.
This preserved lemon salsa verde in particular instantly jazzes up your food and the best part about it is that you can customize with any herbs you have on hand - just follow the same ratio (more in the notes section). I like to make a batch or two and keep it in my fridge to spoon over meals throughout the week.
I hope this becomes a staple in your house like it is in mine!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp minced shallot (from 1 small shallot)
2 Tbsp lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tsp champagne vinegar
1/2 cup minced parsley (from ~1 cup packed leaves)
1/3 cup minced cilantro (from ~1 cup packed leaves)
1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp minced preserved lemon rind (or 1 Tbsp lemon zest)
2 Tbsp minced jalapeno (from about 1/2 of a jalapeno)
Kosher salt, to taste
METHOD
In a small bowl, combine the minced shallot with the lemon juice and champagne vinegar. Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the minced herbs with the olive oil (immediately after you've minced the herbs) and stir to coat the herbs in oil.
To the herbs and oil, add the preserved lemon and jalapeno along with the shallot, lemon juice and champagne vinegar mixture. Stir to combine and season with kosher salt to taste.
Spoon over salmon, any mild white fish, chicken, pork, beef, eggs, roasted vegetables (asparagus, green beans, cauliflower, carrots, etc). Endless possibilities!
NOTES
Soaking the shallot in acid - allowing the shallot to sit in the acid (lemon juice and champagne vinegar) before adding to the rest of the ingredients will help soften the raw shallot's harsh flavor. I do this with other types of alliums when I'm using them raw in a recipe (garlic, onions, shallot, scallion, etc.). It's a great tip for when you're making a vinaigrette too. If you have a really spicy jalapeno, you can also add it to the acid to help tone down the spice level.
Combining minced herbs with olive oil immediately - It's important to combine the herbs with the olive oil right after they've been minced - the olive oil will help them stay green and slow down the oxidization process.
Preserved Lemon - if you you don't have preserved lemon on hand (you can buy at the store or make at home), you can replace it with the zest of one lemon. It's not the same flavor, but zest does add an intensely lemony kick that preserved lemon offers!
Herbs - you can mix and match herbs depending on what you like. Don't like cilantro? You can just just replace it with parsley (so 1/2 + 1/3 cup minced parsley instead). You can really change up the herbs depending on what you like and what you're serving this with. Just stick to the same total quantity of herbs. I also like adding smaller amounts of "accent herbs" as I call them. This includes fresh dill, oregano, thyme, etc. Endless options!