Provencal Basil Pistou
Pistou is a Provençal cold sauce made from cloves of garlic, basil and olive oil. It is similar to pesto, although it doesn’t include nuts, so it is smoother. It is classically added to soups of summer vegetables.
Serves [4 as a dip]
Ingredients
Small bunch of basil leaves and stalks (about 30 grams), washed
3 garlic cloves, peeled
100 millilitres of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place all ingredients in a processor or pestle and mortar, then blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
This can be used straight away or kept in the fridge for several days in a sealed container as the oil will preserve the basil.
Food savvy tip
You can add hard cheeses that are slightly past their best, before blitzing, to add a creamy and salty dimension to the pistou. This would make it a few pine nuts away from a classic Italian pesto.
