Salsa alla Genovese = Genoese Sauce
If you see the term genovese in general Italian cookery books, two things come to mind. If it refers to a dish that connotes Liguria, then genovese would mean the presence of pesto. In Naples, genovese is a sauce of meat and onions and it has nothing to do with Liguria. But Salsa alla Genovese is something else again. This is a flavorful vegetable—red wine sauce that is considered an ideal condiment for poached fish.
Ingredients
6 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, green heart removed, minced
4 large or 5 medium carrots, wahsed and peeled, then minced
4 Tbsp. Ligurian extravirgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh thyme, torn into small pieces
1 Tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups/12 oz. light to medium-weight red wine such as Rossese di Dolceacqua or Dolcetto
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
- After preparing the shallots, garlic, and carrots, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and carrots and sauté until the shallots become translucent and the combination gives off a beguiling fragrance.
- Then add the thyme, followed by the flour, stirring so that all the ingredients combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then the wine. Place a lid on the pot so that it is almost entirely covered, but leave a little gap for steam to escape. Cook for about an hour over very low heat.
- Depending on how you prefer the sauce, you may strain the liquid out or keep it as it is in the pot, which is a rather thick sauce that really seems like a condiment. Ideally, the sauce is served at room temperature, but I also like it hot, especially if the sauce is served with cold poached fish.