Sauce vierge is a delightful marinated olive oil, tomato and fresh herb dressing that works superbly with shellfish, white fish or pasta. This sauce became a modern French classic after it was made popular in the 80s by one of the fathers of Nouvelle Cuisine, French chef Michel Guérard. Simple as it is, it would be a shame not to impress your friends with a bit of Michelin star va va voom at your weekend barbecue, so here we go.
Grilled Seabass or red mullet fillets with basil and tomato “sauce vierge”
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Recipe by: Busy:20 min (for the sauce) plus overnight marinade, Total prep time: 20 min Serves: 6 |
With a small pairing knife, remove the green peduncles off the tomatoes and score a cross into the skin at the bottom of each tomato.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for a few seconds, until the skin starts peeling off.
Drain and plunge the tomatoes into cold water to stop the cooking. Peel their skin off (it should come off very easily) and quarter them. Remove the seeds off each quarter and place the deseeded flesh back into cold water to clean up any remaining soft parts. Pat the quarters dry and dice finely.
Mix the tomato cubes with the choppedd basil leaves, vinegar, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Cover tightly and marinate in the fridge overnight or for a couple of days if possible.
When ready to use, grill the lightly oiled fish fillets on the barbecue skin side down for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through, or sauté the fillets in a frying pan in a little bit of olive oil, 2-3 minutes skin side and 30s flesh side.
Serve the fish drizled liberally with sauce vierge on a thick slice of rustic bread or with fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti.
To allow the flavour of the sauce to fully develop, prepare it two to three days in advance.
With a small pairing knife, remove the green peduncles off the tomatoes and score a cross into the skin at the bottom of each tomato.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for a few seconds, until the skin starts peeling off.
Drain and plunge the tomatoes into cold water to stop the cooking. Peel their skin off (it should come off very easily) and quarter them. Remove the seeds off each quarter and place the deseeded flesh back into cold water to clean up any remaining soft parts. Pat the quarters dry and dice finely.
Mix the tomato cubes with the choppedd basil leaves, vinegar, olive oil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Cover tightly and marinate in the fridge overnight or for a couple of days if possible.
When ready to use, grill the lightly oiled fish fillets on the barbecue skin side down for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through, or sauté the fillets in a frying pan in a little bit of olive oil, 2-3 minutes skin side and 30s flesh side.
Serve the fish drizled liberally with sauce vierge on a thick slice of rustic bread or with fresh tagliatelle or spaghetti.
You can use a mix of herbs, such as chervil, parsley or tarragon.
If you don't have a nice vinegar, use lemon juice instead.
If you don't have a nice vinegar, use lemon juice instead.
Ingredients
20 cL extra virgin olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons wine or (Xeres) sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed of finely chopped
Leaves off 1 bunch of basil, finely chopped
6 sea bass fillets or 12 red mullet fillets
20 cL extra virgin olive oil
4 ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons wine or (Xeres) sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed of finely chopped
Leaves off 1 bunch of basil, finely chopped
6 sea bass fillets or 12 red mullet fillets
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