Aillade Toulousaine
A while back when I was making the Beet Ravioli out of the cookbook Mange Tout, by Bruno Loubet, I checked out the other recipes that I had bookmarked. And this recipe really popped out at me, even though it’s not a dish per se, but a sauce.
Actually, this sauce is not really a pesto or a gremolata, and Mr. Loubet suggests serving it with roasted lamb. He unfortunately doesn’t give any history on this sauce, although from the name you can guess garlic and perhaps Toulouse?!!
I was quite intrigued by the ingredients – essentially walnuts, garlic, and herbs.
It’s not the prettiest sauce, but that will be forgiven as soon as you taste it. I made it to top a filet of salmon, but I can see myself spreading this stuff on just about everything.
One note: If you’re not fond of fresh garlic, cut the amount in half.
Aillade Toulousaine
From Mange Tout
100 grams walnuts
6 large garlic cloves
1/2 sage leaf
1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons water
100 milliliters walnut oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt
Black pepper
Begin by placing the walnuts, garlic, and half of sage leaf in a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth.
I honestly didn’t taste the sage because of the strong garlic flavor of this sauce, so I’d recommend using a whole sage leaf. My sage was still alive and thriving outside, but I’m also wondering if the flavor was subdued slightly being that it’s January.
Add the mustard and water, then drizzle in the walnut and vegetable oils while the machine is on.
Once fully processed and saucy smooth, pulse in the parsley and chives.
I didn’t season the sauce until I tasted it. It definitely needed salt. I passed on the pepper.
I pan-fried the salmon in butter, and seasoned it well with salt and pepper. Then I placed the salmon over a bed of lightly-dressed lettuces.
Then came the sauce. It’s very fragrant of garlic and walnuts, and it just fabulous with the salmon. I can’t wait to have it with beef or lamb.
Heck, I could have this on roast chicken as well.
Whatever you serve this room-temperature sauce with, have extra on hand. You will need it!
About the Author: Chef Mimi
All things do not have to be pretty to taste good and your sauce definitely looks very good on the salmon.
No, you’re right. But good food usually is pretty, in my book! The color is definitely excusable!
Mimi — Oh yum, this is just the type of sauce I need for January. I made Parmesan crusted haddock last night, and needed a quick sauce so I made aioli with tons of garlic! I might try this with hazelnuts since I currently have a bottle of hazelnut oil in the fridge. Cheers!
Oh, a hazelnut version would be lovely. Besides, it’s my favorite nut!
Beautiful presentation, Chef Mimi! My moth is watering, and it is only morning…
of course it the “mouth” in the comment above… WordPress must allow us to edit or at least delete the comments…
oh I know, I know. But I did know you didn’t mean “moth!”
I’ll have to try this (with less garlic). Seeing the salmon reminds me to ask: have you tried salmon sous-vide yet?
no, darn it – just sea bass. it’s on my list, stefan. it’s tough because my husband won’t eat fish unless we’re travelling somewhere on the coast!
That was a good policy before refrigerators were invented ;-)
That is a beautifully cooked salmon. Interesting sauce, what a great pairing!
My husband had it on steak and he asked me to make more!
I love the sounds of this sauce and would not have thought to put it on salmon but I can see how that would work very nicely. I also love the idea of doing this with hazelnuts. Beautiful salmon too. For some reason we just haven’t need getting very much salmon up here lately, at least not fresh.
This was frozen. It’s a decent brand. Only if I need a large filet I’ll place an order and get it freshly frozen!
This looks so delicious! What an intriguing recipe ;-)
That’s exactly what I thought!
Your salmon looks amazing!
Thanks! (it was)
Very nice Mimi. I too find my surviving herbs lacking in flavour. Perhaps surviving takes it’s toll.
It does with me, Conor!
I have made a similar sauce from an Italian recipe to serve with ricotta ravioli, it was delicious!
Probably a verde instead of a verte!!!
you don’t like garlic? or a lot of garlic???!!! I’m just teasing, of course. it does not matter!
That’s exactly why I don’t use balsamic in dishes like many people do. Just mostly as is on salads. Color is important to me in food and in life. you mix brown and green together and you get brownish green. but it is good!
I think I’d heat that sauce up and call it soup! Looks really lovely. Not a sauce I’d encountered before–especially with the walnut-mustard combination. I’ll give it a shot. Nice photos. Thanks. Ken
It is that good! Hope your daughter is doing well!
She’s fine, if, like everyone in Paris right now, a bit shook up. She lives about a 2 minute walk from the Charlie Hebdo offices. I didn’t realize just how close until I saw the NYT map yesterday. We must have walked past the spot about a million times in the last two weeks. Thanks for asking. Ken
it’s so unsettling to say the least. My older daughter was visiting a girlfriend in London back in 2006? and we were on the phone. At first I could hear her high heels clicking on the Nottingham sidewalks, and then all I heard was sirens. I forget which terrorist event it was, but she was really close to it. Fortunately when my younger daughter lived in London, only good things happened, like the queen’s jubilee, the wedding, the baby, the olympics, and the paraolympics. phew! Quite a learning experience but not fun for parents.
Yummy! Beautifully cooked salmon and what a novel idea for the sauce. The both combi would be great.
My husband had the sauce with a steak, and he couldn’t get enough!
Walnuts, sage and garlic? Yum! I actually had a similar verision of this sauce in a restaurant just yesterday. It was a chesnut, sage and garlic sauce. On vacherin raviolis..
oh my…
Happy new year and best wishes to you and yours for health, happiness, peace & prosperity in 2015!
I just found your good wishes in my spam folder! So sorry! Happy New Year back at you!!!
Mimi, that looks so good and it must be just jumping with flavor – and it sure doesn’t look homely on that gorgeous salmon!
The color is forgiveable since it’s such a tasty sauce!
I guess it doesn’t look bad, but you know what I mean…