Italian Salsa Verde
Parsley, capers and anchovy, chopped by hand and loosened with olive oil.
Bright, salty and herbaceous. The capers and anchovy are what make it Italian and what make it a different sauce from the Spanish salsa verde in this Book, not a version of it.
Serves 4 to 6
Hand chop the parsley finely and do not blitz it. Blending bruises the herbs, and the anchovies and capers usually bring enough salt that it needs none of its own.
Ingredients
- Flat-leaf parsley, leaves only40 g
- Capers, rinsed15 g
- Anchovy fillets, about 10 g2 to 3
- Garlichalf a small clove, or 1 very small clove
- Dijon mustard, 1 tsp5 g
- Lemon zestof half a lemon
- Lemon juice, to taste10 g to 15 g
- Extra virgin olive oil80 ml to 100 ml
- Freshly ground black pepperto taste
- Saltonly if needed
Method
Hand chop the parsley finely. Do not blitz it: that bruises the herbs.
Mince the anchovies, capers and garlic into a paste.
Combine them with the parsley, mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice.
Slowly stir in the olive oil until it is glossy and spoonable.
Adjust the acidity and the pepper, and rest it for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Chef’s notes
- For grilled swordfish, add half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar. For balance against something rich, a few drops of anchovy oil. For an elegant finish, micro parsley or chervil.
Keeping
DUKAI storage guidance
Cool it quickly rather than leaving it out: to below 21°C within about two hours, and to 5°C or below within a further four. At 5°C or below, and best the day it is made. Beyond a day the parsley darkens and the sauce loses the brightness it exists for.
Allergens and diet
Fish, anchovy. Mustard.
Last refined · September 2026