The pesto
Nice pistou is delicious with fresh pasta, just cooked "al dente" and tossed with heavy cream as soon as it is drained. It is actually related to pesto sponge cake, made with basil, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic and olive oil. This is the Italian word pestare , "to pound in a mortar", which explains the nature of this condiment.
Difficulty:[usr 2]
Wash the basil and chop it. Sponge it and chop it coarsely. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them in a mortar with a pestle.
Gradually add the basil leaves to mix them with the garlic purée in a homogeneous way. Moisten with a little olive oil.
Gradually add the parmesan, whisking with a fork. Then pour in all the rest of the olive oil, emulsifying fairly quickly as for mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste, but not too much so as not to hide the flavor of the basil.
Large green leaf basil is more common, but less fragrant than small leaf basil. Above all, always use it very fresh. dry, it loses all its aroma, but it keeps very well in finely chopped olive oil.
Tomato coulis
Very easy to make, but with an incomparable flavor if you have sun-ripened tomatoes, tomato coulis is ideal as a condiment with vegetables, pasta or fish. It is not a long-cooked sauce. but the best way to use tomatoes in season, when they are juicy and fragrant. You can easily make provisions for the bad season, in sterilized jars.
Difficulty:[usr 1]
Scald the tomatoes for a few seconds, drain and peel them. Cut them in half, remove the seeds and crush the pulp.
Peel and finely chop the onion, garlic and shallot. Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan, add the previous mixture and brown it, stirring with a wooden spoon.
When the mixture is transparent, barely golden, add the crushed tomatoes. Mix, then add the bouquet garni, salt and pepper.
Simmer uncovered over moderate heat for about 20 minutes. Pass through a sieve or fine-grid vegetable mill, after removing the bouquet garni. Taste to adjust seasoning.
This coulis can be served hot or cold. You can flavor it with fresh thyme, tarragon or basil. There is another way to prepare the fresh tomato coulis, simpler and tastier:the tomatoes are peeled, seeded and mashed directly into a puree with 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil, a dozen basil leaves and a drizzle of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. This coulis is best served chilled, especially with poached fish.
Source:Les Cuisines Régionales de France. Provence. Editions du Fanal.
