This recipe came about basically as a means to use up some leftover cilantro from the Congee recipe. Initially, I was going to use the cilantro to make a chimichurri sauce, but I actually prefer this Arugula rendition of chimichurri to the original (sorry Argentina, something about the peppery notes of arugula really elevate the sauce to unseen levels of deliciousness), so I decided to head in a different direction. After scratching chimichurri off the list, pesto immediately came to mind: it’s simple, easy to prepare, and it’s ingredient list is infinitely adjustable and adaptable.
I’ve been on a kick with Asian flavors and ingredients (I still can’t get that congee – and it’s million-and-a-half potential adaptations- off of my mind), so I thought of incorporating some sambal into this new pesto (to add some heat and replace the pungency of the more traditional garlic).
I added some basil and mint to round out the herbaceous flavors and swapped in some roasted peanuts for the traditional pine nuts, and suddenly a Thai-ish sauce was born. A little bit of lime juice helped to cut through the richness of the olive oil and temper the heat of the sambal.
Although this sauce is no more Thai than it is Italian (strict adherence to traditional ingredients and techniques isn’t really my thing #sorrynotsorry), it is a glorious (and delicious) bastardization of both cuisines. The Thai and Italian flavor profiles create a fusion-esque condiment that adds a kick of flavor to any meal throughout the day.
I’ve already enjoyed it with salmon, roasted chicken, and as a spread on a breakfast egg sandwich, but my next intended use for this sauce is to toss some rice noodles with the Thai-ish Pesto (as an homage to the pesto-alla-genovese roots of the recipe) and dress them with some pickled veggies.
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 bunch (about 1 cup packed) mint leaves
- 1 bunch (about ½ cup packed) cilantro leaves
- 1 handful (about ¼ cup packed) basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon sambal (or other spicy chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ cup light olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a food processor, plus together peanuts, mint, cilantro and basil until combined. Add chili paste and lime juice and pulse to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- With motor running, stream in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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