A fresh, lemony French sauce vierge made uncooked with olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and basil, to be served warm or at room temperature over fish, vegetables, or grilled poultry.
Ingredients
- 300 g ripe seasonal tomatoes
- 90 ml mild extra-virgin olive oil
- 45 ml fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 0.5 bunches fresh basil
- 1 piece traditional shallot
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 pinches fine salt
- 1 pinch whole black peppercorns
Method
- Peel the tomatoes if you want a very clean sauce: lightly score the skin, plunge them into simmering water until the skin begins to lift, then immediately refresh them in cold water. The skin should come away without resistance.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters, remove the excess seeds and watery pulp, then dice the flesh into even pieces. The dice should remain whole and juicy, not crushed.
- Peel the garlic and shallot. Mince the garlic very finely, then finely dice the shallot. The mince should be fine enough to flavor the sauce without dominating the palate.
- Coarsely crush the coriander seeds in a mortar or beneath the flat side of a knife. They should be cracked, not ground to powder, so they contribute small citrusy and floral notes.
- Combine the diced tomatoes, garlic, shallot, coriander, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Stir gently with a spoon so the tomato does not turn into a purée.
- Add the lemon juice, then drizzle in the olive oil while stirring gently. The sauce should become glossy, supple, and lightly bound by the tomato juices, without trying to create a thick emulsion.
- Let the sauce rest at room temperature until the aromas meld and the tomato releases a clear, fragrant juice. It is ready when it smells of fruity oil, fresh lemon, mellow garlic, and basil all at once.
- Just before serving, finely chop the basil and fold it in gently. Do not add it too early: it should retain its green color and fresh aroma and avoid turning black in the acidity.
- Serve at room temperature, or barely warm it over a gentle double boiler. If warmed, it must never simmer: the oil should only become more fluid and the aromas more open, without cooking the tomato or basil.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 221.9 kcal
- Protein
- 0.93 g
- Carbohydrate
- 4.69 g
- Fat
- 22.67 g
- Fibre
- 1.51 g
- Calcium
- 13.8 mg
- Iron
- 0.32 mg
- Magnesium
- 6.34 mg
