Zhoug (pics)

I had some beautiful parsley and cilantro that I dug up and looking for something to do with it, plus I wanted to use my mortar and pestle. So I made Zhoug. As you know it is a north African/Middle Eastern very spicy sauce or condiment kind of like pesto but very spicy and made with cilantro predominately.

Start with roasting cardamom pods, black peppercorns, coriander, cumin and some cloves in a pan until fragrant.


Then you mash up the spices.


Then start adding six cloves of garlic and four Serano pepper‘s and mash the hell out of them into a paste. Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar and zest from 1/2 orange.



Then start adding one and a half cups parsley leaves and 3 cups cilantro and keep mashing the hell out of it in batches.



Then add 1/3 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil and combine until just right.