Zhoug
Pronounced “Zoog,” also spelled Schug, this is a beautiful, green, Yemenite sauce now popular in much of the Middle East.
Ingredients
5 to 10 mildly hot small green peppers such as jalapeno or serrano, stems removed (remove seeds for even less heat)
3 to 4 medium cloves garlic
1 medium bunch cilantro, leaves and upper stems coarsely chopped
1 medium bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves and upper stems coarsely chopped
Juice and zest from half a lemon
2 tsp. ground cardamom*
2 tsp. ground coriander*
1 tsp. kosher sea salt
2/3 cup olive or local sunflower oil
Directions
Combine all ingredients except oil in a food processor and pulse into a coarse paste, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add oil until just incorporated— you want the sauce to be a bit chunky, not totally smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for a week or two, or freeze in airtight containers.
Use this sauce to top grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, lamb or any kind of pita sandwich. Add to regular hummus for a spicy green version, or mix with yogurt (to cut the heat) for a tasty dipping sauce.
Suggestions
* Tip! While commercially ground spice is delicious in this recipe, you can up the ante by toasting whole cardamom seed (not whole green pods) and coriander seed in a dry skillet, then grinding in a spice or clean coffee grinder.
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