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Series 2 restaurateurs
Cooking with Raymond
Pesto sauce
Pesto is an Italian favourite and has a lesser known cousin, pistou, a basil/olive oil/garlic condiment used in French cuisine. The main difference is the pine nuts - which are used in the Italian version and not in the French. Both can be used as a sauce for pasta or as a flavouring for steamed vegetables, grilled fish and chicken. The pesto can be prepared 2-3 days in advance and kept clingfilmed in the fridge - alternatively it can also be frozen. You'll need a blender for this recipe.
| Name of dish: | Pesto sauce |
|---|---|
| Preparation time: | 30 mins |
| Cooking time: | 15 mins |
| Serves: | 2 people |
Raymond creates a pesto sauce.
Ingredients
- 30g 1 handful Basil leaves, blanched for 5 seconds and refreshed (Chef's note 1)
- 5g 1 clove Garlic, puréed
- 100ml Olive oil, extra virgin
- 20g parmesan cheese
- 5g toasted pine nuts
- 1g 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1g 2 pinches White pepper
Method
- Place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse to a fine paste, slowly adding the olive oil, taste and correct seasoning.
- Reserve in a covered container in the fridge until needed.
Chef's note
- Blanching the basil retains its vivid green colour by destroying an enzyme which causes the basil to discolour.
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