ITALIAN COLD SAUCES

Ingredients for 6 people: 6 cloves garlic – 60 g (2 oz) soft bread crumb – 6 or more tbsp olive oil – 1 sprig parsley – salt, black pepper and vinegar at taste

This perfumed and strong tasting sauce goes well with boiled fish, meat and vegetables. It is of course appreciated by those who love the garlic taste. It is best made with a hand mixer. Since it oxidizes in a short time, better to prepare it just a few hours before use and keep it in the fridge.

Divide garlic cloves lengthwise, peel, remove inner sprout if present. Soak a good fistful of crustless crumb with wine vinegar, let stay for a while, squeeze with your hands first, then put on a kitchen cloth, pull borders, form a ball, twist and squeeze strongly to let vinegar drain through the fabric. Put in the mixer container, add coarsely chopped garlic and parsley, salt, pepper and 6 tbsp of olive oil. Mix and add more oil until the sauce is thin enough to barely drop from a teaspoon. Adjust salt and pepper, mix again to dissolve salt. No freezing is possible.

If you want a much delicate sauce, you can remove inner sprout from garlic and put it for 5 minutes in boiling water. Remove and dry, then continue as described above. Increasing or reducing the said 5 minutes acts upon the final result.

Ingredients for 6 people: 6 anchovies in oil (12 fillets) – 1 tbsp capers in vinegar – 1 clove garlic – 1 sprig parsley – 1 tbsp vinegar – 6 tbsp olive oil

 Savoury and tasting, goes well with hard-boiled eggs, grilled meat (beef and pork), boiled beef, fish and vegetables. Same if all these are cold and leftovers. It’s also perfect with pasta, either just boiled or a sautéed leftover.

 Clean anchovies, remove bones if any, chop and put in a small skillet with 6 tbsp olive oil. Dissolve over a very mild fire, avoid frying. Very finely chop garlic, parsley and (washed and squeezed) capers. Add to skillet, stir and combine with dissolved anchovies, add a tbsp vinegar, gently cook 2-3 minutes. Transfer in a jar and cover with more olive oil, so it keeps 1 week in the fridge. Can be frozen with a 3 months life.

Ingredients for 6 people: 6 anchovies in oil (12 fillets) – 90 g (3 oz) olive oil – 3 cloves garlic

This is a tasty and savoury sauce, matching all boiled meat (especially chicken), boiled fish and all boiled vegetables, even if all are cold leftovers. It is also great with hard-boiled eggs and pasta.

 Pour oil in a small skillet over a gentle flame, add peeled and just crushed garlic, heat but avoid frying. After 2 minutes remove garlic, add anchovies, stir and dissolve, avoid frying. The sauce is ready. It keeps one week in the fridge if covered with oil. Can be frozen with a 3 months life.

Ingredients for 6 people or 10 people if used for pasta: 200 g black or brown olives (7 oz) – 1/2 clove garlic – 2 anchovies (4 fillets) in oil – 6 tbsp or more olive oil – red hot chili, wild fennel powder at taste

 It’s a simple sauce, typical of the humble popular cuisine. Exquisite and tasty, it has a rich, bitterly and enchanting aroma, enriched by the light smell of garlic, anchovies, chili and wild fennel. It can be quickly prepared with black or brown olives, either in oil or in brine. Goes well with boiled meats and fish, cold chicken salad, cold boiled beef tongue, boiled beef leftovers. It’s also great with pasta, either just boiled or sautéed leftover. It matches wonderfully with tomato sauce. For exquisite croutons use thin bread slices, toasted or not, spread with butter, mayonnaise or cheese (cream cheese, stracchino, gorgonzola) and top with sauce and a dice of pecorino or parmesan. If with stracchino or gorgonzola, you can bake them to melt and serve hot.

This sauce is best made with a hand mixer. Stone olives if needed, drain and coarsely chop. Put in the mixer container, add garlic, anchovies, some red hot chili pepper and a very small pinch of wild fennel powder. Pour 6 tbsp olive oil and pulse-mix at low speed for 4-5 seconds periods interspersed by equal pauses. Taste and adjust salt and If you intend to use the sauce with pasta or croutons, that’s all, otherwise transfer in a jar and cover with more olive oil. Keeps one week in the fridge and can be frozen with a 3 months life.

Ingredients for 6 people: 6 tbsp or more olive oil – 1 hard boiled yolk – 1 tbsp red wine vinegar – 1 sprig parsley – 4 leaves basil if in season – 1/2 clove garlic – 1 tbsp capers in vinegar – 2 anchovies in oil (4 fillets) – salt and black pepper at taste

 Perhaps the most popular Italian cold sauce, it is a perfect match with hard-boiled eggs and grilled or boiled meats, fish and vegetables, even if leftovers.

 Squeeze capers with paper towel. Chop them together with egg yolk and anchovies. Add very finely chopped garlic, parsley and basil (if used). Ground some black pepper, add a tbsp of wine vinegar and 6 tbsp of olive oil, mix well. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed. Transfer in a jar, cover with more oil if needed and keep for a minimum of 2 hours in the fridge before using. If covered with olive oil, it keeps 1 week in the fridge. Can be frozen with a 3 months life, when thawed use within one day.

Ingredients for 6 people: 200 g (7 oz) mature pecorino – 4 hard-boiled yolks – 12 leaves basil – 1 sprig parsley – 6 or more tbsp olive oil – salt and black pepper at taste

It’s a quite uncommon, tasting and aroma-rich sauce. Goes very well with boiled meat, specially chicken. It is best made with a hand mixer.

Put into the container grated pecorino, yolks, coarsely chopped basil and parsley and 6 tbsp olive oil. Quick pulse for 4-5 second periods, interspersed by equal pauses. Add more oil until sauce is thin and easily drops from the teaspoon. It oxidizes easily, so don’t prepare too much in advance. One hour is the maximum. Keep in the fridge until using. Can be frozen with a 3 months life, when thawed use within one day.