By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- 5(150)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Years ago, I found an intriguing recipe for a sauce similar to this one. I loved it, but it wasn’t until I read Dara Goldstein’s “The Georgian Feast,” from which this recipe is adapted, that I realized this sweet, pungent sauce is a mainstay of Georgian national cuisine, often served with grilled meat, chicken or vegetables.
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Ingredients
Yield:1½ cups
- 2ounces dried apricots
- 1cup boiling water
- ⅓cup shelled walnuts (1 ounce)
- 2 to 4garlic cloves (to taste), halved, green shoots removed
- ¼cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½teaspoon salt (more to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Pinch of cayenne
- 2cups cilantro leaves (2 good-size bunches), coarsely chopped
- 1½cups parsley leaves (1½ bunches), coarsely chopped
- ½cup coarsely chopped mixed basil, tarragon, and dill
- 5tablespoons walnut oil (or more, to taste)
- ½cup soaking water from the apricots, as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
365 calories; 30 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 19 grams polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 421 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Place the dried apricots in a bowl and pour on the boiling water. Let sit for at least an hour, more if possible, even overnight. Drain over a measuring cup and retain ½ cup of the soaking water.
Step
2
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Add the walnuts, and process with the garlic. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the drained apricots, the lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne to the bowl, and process to a puree. Add the cilantro and other chopped herbs, and puree, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides several times. Combine the walnut oil and soaking water from the apricots, and with the machine running, gradually add it to the puree. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and let sit for one hour. Taste and adjust salt. Serve with beans, chicken, meat or fish, grilled or roasted vegetables, or grains.
Tip
- Advance preparation: This sauce will keep for several days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.
Ratings
5
out of 5
150
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Cooking Notes
dimmerswitch
Really delicious, versatile as sauce with roasted veggies or fish, dip with crudite, pasta salad dressing, tossed with rice or potatoes & as crostini spread. Holds well in fridge. NOTES: 1) California apricots are best here, not Turkish. 2) 2 cloves garlic is plenty. 3) BIG pinch for cayenne. 4) Olive oil works in place of walnut oil & reduce oil to 4T. 5) Prefer a bit more cilantro & bit less parsley. 6) Tarragon only in place of mixed herbs works & reduce to 3T.
Jeff
We loved this sauce so much, and found it so versatile, that we made a dozen jars and gave them away as Xmas presents. Everyone loved it. We put it on salmon, chicken, eggs, even straight on toast with breakfast.
Kurt
I make a thicker version and use it as a condiment. I add a package of baby spinach to food processor first. Also I use 2 Tbs of peanut oil rather than 5 Tbs of walnut oil and dried tarragon/basil/dill.
deborah
Delicious! No changes.
Nut Job
Anybody replace the walnuts? Walnut allergy here.
Amanda
Delicious. Took advice from other commenters and put in 1.5 garlic cloves and a huge oinch of cayenne- perfect. Went more generous with the dill, tarragon, and parsley to combat the bland flavor other people mentioned and the resulting sauce is layered, bright, and totally delicious.
lucie
I’ve made this several times, I’m never very exact with measurements but stayed close and it’s the most delicious thing ever. It’s truly my favorite NYT Recipe, I’d eat it on shoe leather.
jane
Delicious! I just picked all my herbs and made some to freeze for winter vegetables. Hope it works!
Gael
Only two small cloves of garlic. Made it with three and garlic was too dominant
Stephanie
Excellent! I didn't have dried apricots so I used apricot jam instead. Followed a previous tip to reduce parsley and oil. Most of the work involved is picking the leaves from the stems, especially the cilantro.
Amanda
I followed the recipe to a T, opting to use two cloves of garlic, rather than 4. While the sauce was not unpleasant, the dominant flavor was garlic, followed with a little of the lemon juice’s acidity. All the subtlety and nuance I had expected from the various herbs, the walnut and apricot was nonexistent. Might try again with even less garlic. Disappointed.
Ty Moddelmog
Agree with the comment regarding a BIG pinch of cayenne
Kerry
Excellent as prepared.
Julie
This is so delicious. I put it on pasta and on grilled fish with equal success!!
Jennie
Super easy and really great. Served it with a sheet-pan meal of roasted sausages, onions, pears, and jalapeños. Brought it all together. Hazelnut oil instead of walnut oil, but couldn't taste it, frankly, with all the other strong flavors in there.
Hanna
Came out delicious!
Maggie
For herbs I only had parsley on hand. Still loved this sauce!!!
Krispy
Here in the Pacific NW, Karam's Garlic Sauce is available. (Pure, pureed garlic cloves, no added oils or anything). I placed a bundle of cilantro into the food processor with one cup of Karam's Garlic Sauce, pulsed into moosh. Added a dollop of Tofutti sour cream, & a splash of cashew milk, + salt/pepper to taste.Vegans devoured it with Mary's Gone Crackers.
bk cook
If one doesn’t own a food processor? Blender?
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