Cilantro Pesto

Directions

This is particularly good with shrimp skewers or short ribs, but it would be at home with any simple fish steak or fish fillet off the grill. I went with a straightforward white wine vinegar here, but you can fine tune this to your own taste by using sherry vinegar, lemon and/or lime juice, or balsamic vinegar.

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients

• 1 packed cup coarsely chopped cilantro (stems and all)
• 1 packed cup flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup marcona almonds or blanched almonds
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• Kosher or fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the oil into a blender jar. Add the cilantro, parsley, almonds, and vinegar and blend until the herbs are finely chopped and the mixture is fairly smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. The pesto can be made up to a day in advance. Scrape into a storage container and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent the pesto from turning dark. Refrigerate until ready to use. Bring the pesto to room temperature before serving.