Salsa Verde

It’s been a long week but the weekend is here. I’ve had 4 late nights followed by early starts in a row, but I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the boy and I want it to start well so we’re having steaks. Salsa Verde is the perfect sharp accompaniment to a juicy steak.

Bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only

Small bunch of mint, leaves only

Small bunch of basil. Leaves only

Handful rocket leaves

1tpsp Dijon mustard

10 capers

2tbsp red wine vinegar

Flaky sea salt

180ml Really good olive oil

Just the thought of the weekend has me in a good mood. The steaks are coming to room temperature and Rigoletto is on the CD player by the time the boy gets home. He’s cheery and senses my good mood. I’ve opened an Argentinan Malbec so it can breathe.

You could use a food processor but the boy likes using the mezzaluna – it’s a sort of curved blade with handles at either end that you rock back and forth to chop herbs. It’s very pleasurable to use. Ours has a wooden board with a shallow hollow in it that fits the blade.

So the herbs get chopped, and as they approach fineness, add the capers until they too are chopped.

Pop the chopped up green stuff into a bowl and stir in the Dijon, oil, vinegar and salt. It should be sludgy. Taste and adjust for sharpness. It may need more vinegar or a few more chopped capers. Consider whether a squeeze of lemon wouldn’t be better than the vinegar. Luckily the boy has a fine taste for this sort of thing and I trust his judgement.

I’m cooking the steaks, he’s sampling the wine. This will give the salsa time to have a little rest and the flavours to develop. He’s made an effort so it would be a shame not to serve this in a nice bowl. Ours is going in a lovely grey porcelain shallow dish. It looks elegant and it tatses as good as it looks. All Friday nights should be like this. I can't resist running my fingers through his coarse dark hair when I pass. He stands there with his glass of wine, grinning.