I’ve been in love with Peruvian food ever since the first time I tried it, yet, when looking back on the experience, I can’t recall the exact dish I ordered. But that doesn’t matter for today’s discussion, because what I do remember is that the food was served with a mysterious green sauce on the side.
At first, I was so overwhelmed with the experience of a new cuisine that I simply decided to leave the sauce alone. However, about halfway through the meal, with the sauce still staring at me, untouched, I finally decided to try it out. And being a complete and total idiot I decided not to test the sauce with a small droplet, but instead with a big dollop. It was both a huge mistake and one of the best decisions in my entire life.
Why was it a mistake?
Well, it’s because the sauce was spicy, and I mean Bruce Lee roundhouse kicking you right in the face so that you fly back a hundred feet type of spicy. Despite this, it was also one of the most unbelievably rich, and refreshing sauces I have ever eaten. So what was this mysterious sauce? It was Aji Verde ladies and gentlemen, which is what we are going to be making in today’s lesson.
Aji Verde Recipe
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Servings: makes about 2 cups of sauce
Ingredients
5 Jalapenos, or 10 serrano peppers (tops cut off and deseeded)
1 cup of cilantro
1 Small yellow onion (quartered)
2 Garlic cloves (crushed and peeled)
⅓ cup of feta cheese
Juice from one lime
⅓ Cup of neutral oil (such as vegetable, or canola)
Salt to taste
Instructions
- Blend everything besides oil and salt: Prep all of the veggies and add them along with the feta cheese, and lime juice to either a food processor or blender.
Then blend/process everything until it forms a smooth paste.
- Add oil: Put your food processor or blender on a low pulse, and slowly add the oil.
If you have a food processor then all you have to do is pour the oil into this top chamber which has a small hole that allows the oil to pour into the mixture at the perfect rate.
- Taste and add salt if needed
- Serve & enjoy
This aji verde sauce pairs perfectly with our Pollo a la Brasa recipe
Aji Verde Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 Jalapenos or 10 serrano peppers (tops cut off and deseeded)
- 1 cup of cilantro
- 1 Small yellow onion quartered
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed and peeled
- ⅓ cup of feta cheese
- Juice from one lime
- ⅓ Cup of neutral oil such as vegetable, or canola
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Blend everything besides oil and salt: Prep all of the veggies and add them along with the feta cheese, and lime juice to either a food processor or blender. Then blend/process everything until it forms a smooth paste.
- Add oil: Put your food processor or blender on a low pulse, and slowly add the oil. If you have a food processor then all you have to do is pour the oil into this top chamber which has a small hole that allows the oil to pour into the mixture at the perfect rate.
- Taste and add salt if needed
Inspiration from other blogs
From Daring Gourmet
