Gremolata is an Italian dry topping/sauce made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic and a zested lemon. It's used to finish a wide variety of foods such as grilled meats, pan-seared fish, and roasted vegetables.
1/2bunchItalian flat leaf parsleycleaned and large stems removed (about 1.75 oz or 50 g)
1clovegarlic
zest of 1 lemon
pinchsalt
Instructions
Remove the stalky stems from the parsley and clean it well. I like to use a salad spinner to dry it as best possible.
With a large kitchen knife, chop the parsley as finely as possible. This is key to an authentic and good gremolata. Transfer to a medium sized bowl.
Using a microplane, grate 1 clove of garlic into the chopped parsley.
Zest 1 lemon using the microplane. Add a pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients together well, using your hands if helpful to break up the zest and garlic pulp.
Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Use flat-leaf Italian parsley which has much better flavor and texture than curly parsley for this gremolata recipe.
You can use a food processor to cut the parsley but it can easily bruise the leaves and turn your chopped parsley into a paste from one second to the next. Chopping my hand is the safest and easiest way to prevent this from happening.
The secret ingredient to any good gremolata is to chop the parsley as finely as possible. Use a large kitchen knife and mince the parsley.
I sometimes find it difficult to mix all the ingredients together because the garlic turns into a small wad. You use hands if need be and really make sure you have a uniform mixture.
Keep a small bowl of gremolata in the fridge, switching up the herbs and citrus you use. Offer it to kids when they find a particular dish boring or uninteresting or add it to heavier beef stews and braises for a light and refreshing finish.