Refreshing and fragrant, Salmoriglio is an Italian take on a tasty lemony olive oil sauce popular around the Mediterranean. It’s easy to see why this ancient, timeless combination is still strongly favored today. Enjoyed especially on seafood, salmoriglio is used to both marinate and dress all kinds of dishes, including meats, vegetables, salads and slaws.
You’ll love this sauce — it’s easy and takes 5 minutes to make. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, combined with flavorful extra virgin olive oil and salt, are all it takes to make a vibrant tangy salmoriglio sauce. Aromatics are optional, with traditional favorites including garlic and herbs such as dried oregano, fresh parsley, and fresh spearmint.
Meaning of Salmoriglio
Salmoriglio pronunciation: sahl-moh-ree-lyoh
Salmoriglio comes from the Italian word salamoia, from Latin sal (salt) + muria (water, or mare: the sea) — translated as salt water, or brine. The Latin name is thought to have origins from the ancient Greek term halmūrís, meaning saltiness, as well as relating to a fish sauce.
Italy’s Salmoriglio is known as Ladolemono in Greece. Greeks were some of the first known colonists in what are today the Italian regions of Sicily and Calabria, where salmoriglio is traditional.
Despite the same root, salmoriglio is not to be confused with the Spanish tomato-based Salmorejo, a delicious and distinctly different route of evolution.
Ingredients
The costars of salmoriglio sauce are olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Sea salt, dried oregano, fresh parsley and garlic are traditional additions. Nothing fancy, and most likely, ingredients you already have on hand.
- Lemon Juice adds tangy citrus flavor, fragrance and acidity to counterbalance the olive oil. If you like even more citrus, by all means, add an extra tablespoon to the recipe. More lemon is especially great with fish. You may prefer less, however, on salad.
- Include the fine zest of the lemon too, if you like.
- Some Sicilian and Calabrian variations substitute other acids for lemon juice, such as vinegar, wine, or tomato pulp (closer to the Spanish salmorejo).
- Olive Oil – Use a fragrant, good quality extra virgin olive oil. It makes all the difference in taste. (For more tips and recommendations on olive oil, check out the recipe for Trenette al Pesto.)
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic adds a punchy note. You can also pound the garlic into a paste, for a smoother sauce.
- Generous sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A touch of water. Originally sea water, we can use good tap or bottled water!
- Oregano contributes an earthy, sweet taste. Dried oregano is more intense than fresh oregano and works best here.
- Parsley – The clean herbaceous taste of freshly chopped parsley is the perfect finishing touch. Parsley is great accompanying oregano, but can also be the sole herb, if you like, or if you find yourself out of oregano.
- Variations & Substitutions – You can easily adapt the flavor of this simple sauce according to your meal, with fresh herb variations like mint, dill, fennel fronds, rosemary or cilantro. A little hot chili powder or flakes, a few capers, or a small dollop of dijon (which also helps stabilize the emulsion a bit) are other options you may enjoy. Check out the recipe notes for more details.
Recommended Tools
- A whisk – Any fork or whisk will do. I love to use this special type of whisk for salmoriglio and any olive oil and vinaigrette dressings.
- A stainless steel strainer to strain the lemon seeds. With all the lemon pulp, a coarser mesh strainer strains a lot faster than a fine one.
Making Salmoriglio Sauce
A bonus trait of Salmoriglio is that it easily comes together in a few minutes with just a whisk or fork — or jar to shake. No blenders or food processors to clean.
It will taste great no matter how you mix it. Some like to add all the ingredients to a jar and shake it all together. Others like to whisk in one drop of oil at a time to the lemon juice, to get a more complete emulsion. This salmoriglio is meant to be a temporary emulsion, simply whisked up or shaken at the last minute before serving.
How to Serve Salmoriglio Sauce
Salmoriglio sauce is great on all kinds of foods. It can be served at room temperature, or heated and served warm.
- Seafood – Salmoriglio is especially popular with fish and other seafood, to enhance flavor and presentation. You can use it as a marinade, to add to the pan when cooking on the stovetop, and as a perfect finishing touch. I usually serve a bowl on the table for everyone to drizzle on as much as they like.
Drizzle on grilled and pan-seared fish, including tuna and swordfish (very popular in Sicily). Salmon, although not traditional, is an ideal flavor combination. I like to use Salmoriglio generously on roasted branzino and grilled orata. - You can also use it with meats, including pork chops, chicken and beef.
- As a dressing on salads, cold or warm, or slaws. (I put less lemon and leave the dried oregano out for salads.)
- As a pinzimonio dip with crisp, cold strips of fresh seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, fennel, celery, radishes, carrots — whatever is super fresh and in season.
- On roasted or grilled vegetables.
- On grilled or toasted slices of crusty artisan bread.
Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp water
- 8 Tbsp (½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
- a few rounds of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, dissolve the salt with the lemon juice and water.
- Add the olive oil and whisk until well emulsified.
- Stir in the chopped garlic, oregano and parsley, if using, and a few rounds of freshly ground pepper. Whisk to re-emulsify before serving.
Storage
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.Variations
- Jar Method: Shake ingredients vigorously in a closed jar in the same order as instructed above. Shake to re-emulsify before serving.
- Garlic – Pound to a smooth purée with a pestle, or by scraping it with a slanted wide blade of a knife.
- Parsley – Use on its own as a great substitute for oregano.
- Mint – Add a handful of fresh spearmint as an addition to, or substitute for, oregano. Peppermint has a stronger flavor. Experiment to see which you like best.
- Dill, fennel fronds, rosemary or cilantro can be used as a substitute for oregano.
- A touch of hot chili powder or flakes, although not traditional, will work for all you hot and spicy lovers.
- Capers – With firm, dense fish like swordfish or tuna. Note, capers can easily overpower more delicate fish such as sea bass.
- Dijon mustard – A nice touch, and can help keep the sauce emulsified longer. Mix in before adding the oil.
