Jamie Oliver’s green sauce is a hand-chopped herb sauce of mint and parsley with pistachios, olives, capers, cornichons, anchovies and English mustard. It serves 12, from his book Together (2021).
He made it to spoon over his stuffed slow-roasted lamb, the centrepiece of the first episode of his Channel 4 series. Think of it as a close cousin of Italian salsa verde, with pistachios for crunch and plenty of mint for the lamb.
Everything is chopped together on one board with a big knife, not blitzed. Chopping and mixing as you go gives a coarse, glossy sauce where you can still taste each salty, sharp element.
Jamie Oliver Green Sauce
Course: SidesCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy12
servings15
minutes64
kcal15
minutesThe sauce Jamie spoons over his stuffed lamb in Together: a punchy, no-cook mix of herbs, nuts and briny pickles, loosened with vinegar, oil and a splash of hot water. Dairy-free.
Ingredients
1 heaped tablespoon shelled unsalted pistachios
1 heaped tablespoon mixed-colour olives, stone in
1 heaped tablespoon baby capers in brine
1 heaped tablespoon baby cornichons
4 anchovy fillets in oil, from sustainable sources
2 teaspoons English mustard
1 bunch of mint (30g)
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley (30g)
Directions
- Chop the base: On a large board, use a large sharp knife to finely chop the pistachios. Squash, destone and add the olives, then add the capers and cornichons.
- Add the rest: Add the anchovies and English mustard, then pick over the mint and parsley leaves. Chop everything until fine, mixing as you go.
- Dress: Scrape into a serving bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and just enough boiling kettle water to loosen. Mix well, then season to perfection with black pepper.
Notes
- (summery feast): Jamie spoons this over his slow-roasted lamb, served with rainbow tomato crostini, lemon potatoes, dressed beans, apricot sauce and yoghurt panna cotta.
FAQs
Why chop it by hand instead of using a blender?
Jamie chops everything together on a board, and this is our view on why. A blender would turn the herbs into a smooth, dark purée, while a knife keeps distinct little pieces of pistachio, olive and cornichon.
Chopping all the ingredients together also mixes them as you go, so the flavours blend without losing their texture. It takes a few minutes longer, but the result is fresher and much more interesting to eat.
Why add boiling water?
The splash of hot water loosens the sauce to a spoonable consistency without adding more oil. Jamie says to add just enough, so go a little at a time until it slides off a spoon.
Our tip: if you overdo it, chop a few more herbs and stir them in to bring it back. The sauce should be loose enough to drizzle over sliced meat, but still thick enough to cling.
Why is there no salt?
The sauce is seasoned by its ingredients. Anchovies, capers, olives and cornichons are all naturally salty, which is why Jamie seasons it only with black pepper.
Our advice: taste before adding anything else. If it’s a little sharp, a drop more olive oil softens it, while a tiny splash more vinegar brightens a sauce that tastes too rich.
Can I make it ahead?
Jamie doesn’t give a make-ahead note. Our suggestion is to make it fairly close to serving, because chopped herbs darken and lose their freshness once they sit in vinegar.
To get ahead, chop the pistachios, olives, capers and cornichons earlier in the day. Then add the mint, parsley and dressing just before the lamb comes out to rest.
What else can I serve it with?
Beyond lamb, jamieoliver.com files it under fish and seafood too, and it’s excellent spooned over Jamie’s steamed fish. The mint also makes it a natural match for his lamb meatballs.
For a cross-chef comparison, Nigella pairs roast chicken with a tarragon salsa verde. It’s interesting to see how a different herb changes the whole character of the sauce.
Is it vegetarian or nut-free?
Not as written, because of the anchovies and pistachios. For his stuffed salmon, Jamie’s own veggie swap is simply to leave the anchovies out, and our suggestion is the same here.
For a nut-free version, leave out the pistachios. You’ll lose a little crunch, but the capers, olives and cornichons still carry plenty of character. There are more ideas on the Jamie Oliver recipes page.
