Recipe: Sammurigghiu (Italy, Sicily) Salmoriglio Sauce

Winner of the James Beard/ KitchenAid Cookbook of the Year 2000 and Winner of the Beard Award for the Best Writing on Food 2000.

July 21, 2018

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Salmoriglio Sauce
Sammurigghiu
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Basic Recipes and Sauces
Season: Any
Difficulty: Medium Difficulty

This warm olive oil and oregano sauce is known as sammurigghiu in Sicilian, though many people knowledgeable about Italian food know it by its Italian name salmoriglio. The Sicilian word sammurigghiu, literally means "brine." In fact, this is no brine, but rather a delicious bath for fresh grilled fish and even steaks. With the addition of some tomato, it becomes rosso, red. The recipe is very simple, just a whisking together of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and herbs in a double boiler.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes about 3/4 cup
Preparation Time: 15 minutes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons hot water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped

Pour an inch or so of water into the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Set the top part in place. Pour the olive oil into the top of the double boiler and slowly whisk in the lemon juice and hot water. Season with salt and pepper then whisk in the oregano, parsley, and garlic. Cook, whisking constantly, until the flavors are blended, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Use the sauce to baste or pour over fish or meat after grilling.

Variation:

Note:

Posted: 12/11/2006

If you believe that vegetables are the keystone to a sound diet, and if you believe, as more than a few influential cooks do, that many vegetables are best-- and best prepared— in countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea, this [book Mediterranean Vegetables] may prove to be the best of all possible books. This is a lively reference book that contains a generous number of workable recipes. Here’s a book that’s likely to make the commute from bedside table to kitchen and back frequently. Voted Top 10 Cookbooks of 2001
- William Rice, Chicago Tribune

Clifford Wright is a versatile fellow. He won the James Beard Foundation’s top cookbook award a couple of years ago for his historical opus, “A Mediterranean Feast.” But he also wrote one of my favorite quick cookbooks, “Cucina Rapida.” In his newest book [Real Stew], Wright calls upon his scholarly credentials and his practical side to produce a collection of classic stews from around the world. The introductory notes for each of the 300 stews reflect Wright’s knowledge of history and world cuisines. But the recipes themselves — from Nantucket Scallop Stew to French Cassoulet to Kenyan Chicken and Coconut Stew — are straightforward and appealing.
- Margaret King, San Diego Union-Tribune

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