Foodie Word- Gremolata

Gremolata (I’ve also seen it spelled gremolada) is a traditional accompaniment to the Italian braised veal shank dish osso buco. It’s bright flavor contrasts well with the earthy meat, lightening up an otherwise very heavy dish. But that’s certainly not the only use for this easy to whip up accompaniment—like pesto, there are umpteen citrus/herb/fruit and even nut combinations that you can try out. Let your imagination run wild! Below are the basic gremolata recipe and two variations to try out.

Two words of advice: 1) use flat-leaf, or Italian, parsley, which has a lot more flavor than it’s curly cousin; and 2) when you’re peeling or zesting the citrus, make sure you take off just the top layer of skin, not the white pith underneath (it’s bitter).

Classic Gremolata

1 lemon
¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Using vegetable peeler or micro-plane, remove zest from lemon and mince. In a small bowl, combine zest with parsley and garlic. (Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.)

Mixed Herb Gremolata

¼ c. finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp. finely grated lemon peel
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Serve over meat or poultry, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Dill-Orange Gremolata

¼ c. chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. finely grated orange peel

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and spread over fish (mahi mahi or halibut would be great) before roasting in the oven.