Spring is in full swing, and summer is rapidly approaching. As the emerging months grace us with a new bounty of seasonal flavours, we present an offering of quick-to-whip-up condiments you can make at home, to give your meals a refreshing kick as an accompaniment to the warm and cheerful sun.
Each sauce requires no or extremely little cooking and can be made using a blender. For those wanting extra texture however (with the exception of the cashew cream), you can combine the ingredients using our garlic crusher and a blade with a large flat face, like a Nakiri, or just a pestle and mortar.
Finally, the following sauces may not have all the traditional (or even conventional) ingredients included, but are tried and approved by us. Salt to taste.
Greens
Dragoncello. A sharp, Tuscan tarragon-based sauce made with garlic, anchovies (or capers, or both), parsley, white wine vinegar, and olive oil. Pour generously over honey-roasted carrots, dauphinoise-stacked potatoes, or serve alongside a ribeye or pork shoulder.
Coriander, chilli, and mint cashew cream. Punchy on all counts: spicy, fresh herbaceous, and acidic, delivered in a gorgeous velvety texture. Fresh coriander, fresh mint, lime juice and zest, raw garlic, green rocket chillies, a neutral oil, and cashews left in water overnight (or steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes). Great on Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese food.
Mojo verde. A Canarian ‘goes on everything’ sauce. Fresh coriander, garlic, ground cumin, lime juice, black pepper, olive oil. Those genetically disposed to disliking coriander can use parsley instead. Spread across sandwiches, combine it with houmous, or use it instead of mint sauce.
Reds
Mojo rojo. Another Canarian sauce that is as pleasing to eat as it is to say. Combine red bell peppers* with garlic, red chillies, sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar), ground cumin, and smoked paprika. Traditionally served over potatoes, but is knockout on a seared pork shoulder, or even as a taco finisher.
*Optional: char the red peppers in the oven then peel them before adding for a rich, smoky depth.
Sauce vierge. Better diced than blended and fabulous with fish. Cherry tomatoes, basil, capers (or anchovies, or both), a shallot, black olives, coriander seeds, lemon juice and zest, and lashings of olive oil. To deviate slightly from the strictly raw sauces: gently bain-marie the sauce vierge to encourage further flavour mingling.
Romesco. A Catalonian sauce as vibrantly orange as the setting sun. It isn’t technically raw, but is too good and too summery to be left off the list. Roasted red peppers, toasted almonds (or hazelnuts, or both), tomatoes, garlic, smoked paprika, and a generous glug of high-quality olive oil. Romesco is paired traditionally with the calçot: a deliciously sweet onion, celebrated in the annual Calçotada Festival – certainly one to put on your bucket list. It will also steal the show at any barbecue.
Dressings
Elderflower vinaigrette. A seasonal summery staple. Elderflower pressé, white wine vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard. Its delicately floral notes pair beautifully with peaty flavours, and its zing cuts through fats. Think a smoked beetroot and goats cheese salad.
Kimchi dressing. Umami, tarte, spicy, and not just for salads. Kimchi juice, kimchee cabbage leaves, rice vinegar, neutral oil, agave, soy sauce to season. Use store bought or your own, and if you don’t yet know how, we’ll delve into the bubbly depths of fermenting at home in due course. Use this dressing for crunchy salads, rice bowls, or even a dipping sauce for grilled cheese toasties.
To conclude
Be sure to have at least one of these sauces in your fridge on rotation at any given time. We hope this has made you and your palate as excited for summer as we are.