Homemade Gremolata Recipe
Gremolata sauce is simply divine. It's a cold sauce, which means there's no cooking or heating process going on. It's also served at room temperature. We especially adore it because:
- you can serve it with fish, squid, meat, risotto, soup, minestrone or even pizza
- stores incredibly well
- it's fresh, lemony and delicious
- made in just 5 minutes
- preparation is easy
- versatile and perfect for your next barbecue or picnic
INGREDIENTS
Garlic - Peel and dice the garlic cloves using chefs knife. Remove the green stem as it tends to be bitter. It's irreplaceable in this sauce.
Parsley - Finely chop the fresh parsley. If your parsley is big, then don't use the stalks as they tend to be bitter as well. Otherwise, you can chop and use the stems as well.
Olive oil - Always use high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It's the best and we truly don't reccomend using any other types of oil in this recipe. You can adjust the amount of oil depending on the use and your taste.
Lemon - In traditional Italian Gremolata sauce recipes you will find lemon zest, however, we prefer using lemon juice, because of the texture and because it tends to add a bit more freshness to the sauce.
What is Gremolata and which sauces are similar
Gremolata is an Italian cold sauce traditionally made of garlic, parsley and lemon zest. We switched the latter with lemon juice, just to add a bit more freshness and of course, we added some high-quality olive oil, which in our humble opinion is a must. Serve this amazing lemon gremolata with Osso Bucco, fish, squid, chicken, beef, pork or veal. Or even use it as a garnish in soups, minestrone, risotto, and pizza. It’s truly an amazing, versatile sauce that can be used almost every day of the year. Make sure to dice and chop everything using a chefs knife and a cutting board because the texture, consistency, and taste will not be the same if you will use a chopped or a blender.
Other famous similar sauces are:
Sauce Persillade - originates from France and it's a simple mixture of parsley, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Serve it with crispy baked potatoes and/or with meat.
Sauce Pistou - also originates from France and it's made of garlic, fresh basil and olive oil. Sometimes hard cheese can be added too. It's usually served as a garnish in soups and minestrone.
Sauce Trzaska omaka - originates from Slovenia, our homeland. It's an incredibly tasty sauce, very much the same as this one, but it's made of garlic, parsley and olive oil. Lemon isn't added. Serve it with fish, squid, chicken, beef, pork or veal. Or use it as a garnish in soups, minestrone, risotto, and pizza.
Sauce Chimichurri - originates from South America and the main ingredients are garlic, parsley, and chili. The sauce is a bit spicier and it's absolutely amazing with steak, pork, chicken and tortilla chips. You can find the recipe on our blog as well.
Storing
Store your Gremolata sauce in a jar, in your fridge for up to 7 days. Before serving, let it stand for a while at room temperature. To prevent oxidation, store the gremolata sauce in a dark jar or cover it with aluminum foil before placing in the fridge. That way it will remain beautifully green.
METHOD
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preparation
Place the chefs' knife on the clove and smash it down firmly. Peel the skin, remove the green stem and dice. Finely chop the parsley. Squeeze the lemon to get freshly squeezed lemon juice.
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prep, serving and storing
In a bowl stir together diced garlic, chopped parsley, olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Serve with the dish of your choosing or store in a jar in a fridge for up to 7 days.
TipYou can reduce the amount of olive oil. Use at least 1 tbsp or up to 1/2 cup (120 ml), depending on your taste and what you will serve the sauce with.
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