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Sauce vierge
Raw tomato and olive oil sauce
Sauce vierge: Provençal raw sauce of diced tomato, olive oil, lemon and basil
Sauce vierge is the fresh summer sauce of Provence, made popular by chefs on the Côte d'Azur in the 1980s and now spooned over grilled fish, vegetables and pasta in homes from July to September. Diced ripe tomato, shallot and basil are gently warmed in good olive oil with lemon and coriander seed, just enough to release the flavours without cooking them. The common mistake is heating it too much, which turns it into a cooked tomato sauce. Chef's tip: use the ripest tomatoes you can find and leave the sauce to infuse for 20 minutes before serving.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ripe tomatoespeeled, seeded and finely diced
- 1 shallotvery finely chopped
- 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp coriander seedscrushed
- 10 basil leavesfinely shredded
- ½ tsp flaky salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
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Method
0/3 doneStep 1: Warm the 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil with the ½ tsp coriander seeds in a small pan over a very low heat for 2 minutes, until fragrant but nowhere near frying.
2 minStep 2: Take off the heat and stir in the 3 ripe tomatoes, 1 shallot and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
5 minStep 3: Add the 10 basil leaves, ½ tsp flaky salt and 1 pinch black pepper just before serving. Spoon over grilled fish or vegetables while still lukewarm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sauce vierge take?
- About 12 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 2 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of shallot?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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