Have you ever heard of Mother Sauces? If you haven’t, I’m sure you’ve experienced them before, either when eating out or even perhaps in your own kitchen. The five Mother Sauces are foundational parts of modern French cooking, and by extension of the major influence France has on most of western culinary attitudes, I’m sure you’ll recognize these, well, Mothers!
The five mother sauces of French cuisine are hollandaise, béchamel, espagnole, tomato, and velouté. Personally, I only recognized hollandaise, bechamel, and tomato at first glance. But, upon research I found that I have made all five of these culinary titans at one point or another. The beauty in the foundation that these sauces bring is their dependability, versatility, and flexibility in that once you master them they act as a window into the culinary universe of many western cuisines. They are the bedrock of many of our comfort foods, and are the base of so many familiar flavors.
At this point you may be wondering, what is he going on about? The title, Green Sauces – Not your Mother Sauces, well, quite literally we’re gonna shake things up and go beyond the boundaries of French cooking. During the late winter food can get repetitive, and the feeling of spring can be nonexistent. I’ll introduce you to a Mojo, Gremelade and Chimimchuri style sauce. These sauces are the green, vibrant embodiment that hope springs eternal, and is proof that with some creativity and a few extra steps we can bring life and excitement to any dish.
Mojo Sauce
Allow me to introduce you to a Mojo Sauce. This sauce hails from the Canary Islands, just off the north coast of Africa. The Canary Islands have been under Spanish control since the early 1400s but their close proximity to Morocco and other north eastern nations in Africa make for a fantastic clash of culinary influences. A typical Mojo, also known as Mojo verde, rojo, or picon depending on how spicy it is, are fully body marinades and condiments. Full of flavor, the classic breakdown of a Mojo includes citrus, garlic, herbs and spices. This sauce is bright, aromatic, and perfect served with grilled meats or even as a condiment on top of a hearty stew. Roasted veggies and even fish will have your tastebuds singing for joy when accompanied with a Mojo.
For this variation, I’ve included avocado to create a creamy texture, thus leaning it more toward a condiment. Our family enjoys eating roasted sweet potato fries sprinkled with taco seasoning dipped in our creamy avocado mojo.
PrintMojo Sauce
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ¼ – ½ cup packed cilantro, leaves and stems
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ cup mayo (optional – this will make it creamier)
- Juice of 1 lime (optional if you want a more sour kick)
Instructions
- The sauce comes together quickly in a food processor, or even using an immersion blender. Simply put in your ingredients and blitz away until it is a nice smooth consistency. The sauce will store for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Keywords: Avocados, lime, orange juice
Gremolata Sauce
For the next sauce, we’ve got to go north a few thousand miles to Milan, the birth place of the Gremolata sauce. Revered for its fresh flavors and ease of preparation, our second sauce at the core consists of simply parsley, lemon, and garlic. I suggest you approach this second sauce as more of a condiment or accompaniment to a dish, rather than a marinade. I love that all the preparation can be done on a cutting board for a more rustic presentation. Combine the chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. If you’re wanting a more consistent texture, combine the base ingredients into a food processor and blend away! Give the sauce a few hours to allow the flavors to marry prior to serving.
To highlight the acidity of the Gremolata I enjoy adding pomegranate seed as a topper along with roasted pine nuts, and even a dash of sumac if you have it in your pantry. A gremolata is going to go so well with roasted squash, think delicata or even spooned over a spaghetti squash. Also a fantastic pairing with fresh ravioli, or the garnish to a platter of roasted veggies.
PrintGremolata Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: Overnight
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, resulting in roughly 1 c. finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 Tbsp.lemon juice
- 1/8– 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, more to taste
As a garnish:
- ⅓ c. pinenuts, toasted
- ¼ c. pomegranate seeds
- Sprinkle of Sumac
Instructions
- Combine the chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. If you’re wanting a more consistent texture, combine the base ingredients into a food processor and blend away!
- Give the sauce a few hours to allow the flavors to marry prior to serving.
- To highlight the acidity of the Gremolata I enjoy adding pomegranate seed as a topper along with roasted pine nuts, and even a dash of sumac if you have it in your pantry.
Keywords: Parsley, Garlic
Chimichurri Sauce
Finally, leaving the old world behind and headed toward South American we find the Argentinian green sauce, Chimimchuri. I always associate this flavor powerhouse with red meats, which as my wife can attest from her time living in Argentina is a huge part of this South American nation’s cuisine. The history and origin of this sauce is pretty fascinating and widely contested. Some say the origin of the word itself could be from Quechua language, spoken by indigenous people in Argentina, others say the tradition of preparing chimichurri comes from Spanish settlers from the Basque region. Other accounts give credit to Irish immigrants who tried to make a South American equivalent to Worcestershire sauce using local ingredients. Whatever the origin may be, the official Argentinian stance is that chimichurri represents friendship and the benefit of bringing together people from all walks of life to make something new.
Chimichurri is made from parsley, olive oil, red vinegar, garlic, red chilies, and oregano. This punchy sauce is meant to go along with barbecued meats, and yes the redder the better in this case! Traditional chimichurri does not contain cilantro, but if that’s your thing, go for it. These sauces are all about bringing some life and vibrancy to the winter table.
Throw all your prepared ingredients into a blender and blend until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Similar to the Gremalata sauce, a Chimichurri needs some time at room temperature to develop. Making it and serving it right away will result in a pretty powerful punch. Given time to marry, the flavors come together beautifully! As always, adjust the recipe to your personal or family preference regarding acidity and spice.
PrintChimichurri Sauce
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: Overnight
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 1 c. parsley – finely chopped
- ½ – ¾ c. olive oil
- 2 – 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 – 4 cloves garlic – finely chopped or minced
- 1 – 2 tsp. red chili flakes
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ⅔ tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Throw all your prepared ingredients into a blender and blend until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Similar to the Gremalata sauce, a Chimichurri needs some time at room temperature to develop. Making it and serving it right away will result in a pretty powerful punch. Given time to marry, the flavors come together beautifully! As always, adjust the recipe to your personal or family preference regarding acidity and spice.
Keywords: Green Sauce, Parsley