Simple Salsa Verde

This is one of the most useful and versatile sauces I know - it works for fish, meat and poultry, hot and cold - and I’ll probably include a version of it in every cookbook I ever write. Its three best companions are roast lamb, oily fish such as mackerel, red mullet, salmon or sea bass, and cold poached tongue with Puy lentils (add a little extra mustard for this last one). Ingredients are variable, as are the quantities, but the basic idea is to make a mildly piquant sauce in which the explosive aromas of (ideally) just-picked herbs come shining through. Parsley is pretty much essential - indeed, you can make a good version using parsley alone. Add other herbs according to your own taste and what comes to hand: basil and tarragon are favourites of mine but chives, marjoram, chervil and oregano can all be used. I tend to avoid sage, coriander and rosemary as they overpower the other ingredients. Here’s a basic version as a guide: