Mint, Caper, and Olive Relish
"A relish is anything you want, mixed in a blender with an acid and oil, with the addition of herbs or pickle, or something else to give it a sweet and sour flavor," Zakarian explains.Also, it couldn't be any easier to prepare: "It's a dump-and-stir kind of recipe, with the food processor doing most of the work," he says. "You can make the relish the day before, put it in a jar, [refrigerate it], and bring it out [the next day], and you're ready to go!"If you don't have mint, use basil," he suggests. Soft herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, have soft stems that can go right into the food processor, whereas you'll want to pick the mint leaves off their tougher stem. Even though the food processor does the bulk of the work, keeping an eye on the texture of the relish is key. Zakarian notes that you want to achieve a consistency that is “not too chunky, not too wet, somewhere in between."
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup drained capers ((plus 1 tablespoon caper brine))
- ½ cup pitted green olives ((such as Castelvetrano))
- 1 bunch flat-leaf Italian parsley leaves and stems ((roughly chopped))
- 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
- 1 lemon
- 1 shallot
- Kosher salt ((as needed))
- Several cracks freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil ((as needed))
Instructions:
- Add all the ingredients to the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until the ingredients are coarsely chopped and incorporated.
- Remove the lid, scrape down the sides. If the relish seems dry, add more olive oil.
- Pulse 1-2 more times until the relish is the consistency of pesto.
- Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, if needed, and set aside until ready to use. (Or transfer to a jar and refrigerate for the next day. Remove it from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.)