Salsa Verde Española

Name: Salsa Verde Española
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Spanish (Basque)
Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil — 60 ml (1/4 cup); Garlic cloves, sliced — 3; All-purpose flour — 10 g (1 tbsp); Dry white wine — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp); Fish or vegetable stock — 150 ml (2/3 cup); Fresh parsley, finely chopped — 30 g (1/2 cup); Salt — to taste

The Quirky Foodster Team

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (0)

10 min

Prep

20 min

Cook

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil — 60 ml (1/4 cup)
Garlic cloves, sliced — 3
All-purpose flour — 10 g (1 tbsp)
Dry white wine — 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 tbsp)
Fish or vegetable stock — 150 ml (2/3 cup)
Fresh parsley, finely chopped — 30 g (1/2 cup)
Salt — to taste

Method

Heat olive oil in a wide shallow pan over medium heat; add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, not
browned.
Stir in flour and cook 1 minute to form a light roux.
Deglaze with white wine, stirring to combine, then add stock; simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Stir in most of the chopped parsley, reserving some for garnish.
This is where fish or clams are traditionally added and gently poached in the sauce until cooked through; season with
salt to taste.

Cultural Background: A Basque and northern Spanish parsley-garlic sauce built with white wine and olive oil, salsa verde española is traditionally simmered with hake or clams (merluza en salsa verde), where the sauce thickens naturally from the fish's gelatin and a touch of flour.

Tips: • Shaking the pan gently (rather than stirring) while the fish poaches helps the sauce emulsify naturally with released gelatin. • Fresh parsley added at the end keeps the sauce vibrant green.

Variations: • Add clams alongside fish for merluza a la vasca, a classic Basque preparation. • Add fresh peas for a springtime version.

Storage: Best made fresh alongside the fish it's cooked with; refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat very gently over low heat to avoid overcooking any fish already in the sauce. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 60 kcal, 0.5 g protein, 6 g fat, 2 g carbohydrate per 60 ml serving (sauce only).

FAQs: What fish is this sauce traditionally cooked with? Hake (merluza) is the classic choice in Basque and northern Spanish cooking, often with clams added. Why does the sauce thicken without much flour? Gentle pan-shaking while poaching fish releases natural gelatin, which helps emulsify and thicken the sauce.