Warm olive and lime vinaigrette: the two-minute pan sauce for fish and white vegetables

A warm vinaigrette is neither a sauce nor a dressing in the conventional sense. It is a cooked oil that you pour, hot, over food you have just plated. The heat is part of the effect: it warms the cilantro and the lime juice slightly on contact with the fish, and it means the flavors arrive at the plate together rather than as a cold contrast.

This one is simple enough to make while the fish is resting. Heat olive oil briefly with garlic until the garlic is fragrant but not browned. Take the pan off the heat, add lime juice and chopped black olives, let it bubble for 30 seconds, then stir in the cilantro and pour directly over the fish.

Black olives are worth noting here. They are a concentrated source of monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, particularly oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, which have documented anti-inflammatory properties. They also add a brininess that does some of what capers or anchovies might do in a conventional vinaigrette, giving the sauce a savory depth that the lime juice alone could not produce.

AIP note: Fully compliant on elimination phase as written.

Ingredients

• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
• Juice of 2 small limes (about 4 tbsp - approximately 1/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Yield: About 3/4 cup - enough for 4 portions of fish or chicken.

Method

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just beginning to turn translucent, about 1 minute. Do not let the garlic brown.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lime juice and chopped olives. Return to low heat and let the mixture bubble gently for 30 seconds - just enough to warm the lime juice through and let the flavors start to combine.

Remove from heat again. Stir in the cilantro and the salt. Taste and adjust - more lime if it needs brightness, more salt if flat.

Pour immediately over plated fish or chicken.

Timing: Make this sauce while your protein is resting or still plating. It takes 2 minutes and should be served right away. It does not hold well once the cilantro has been added.

How to use it

• Pour over pan-fried or oven-roasted cod, halibut, or salmon fillets
• Spoon over pan-seared chicken thighs at plating
• Serve warm over steamed or roasted white fish
• Drizzle over roasted cauliflower steaks as a vegetable main
• Use as a finishing sauce for seared scallops

Storage

This sauce is best made fresh and used immediately. Leftovers can be stored refrigerated for up to 1 day but the cilantro will darken and the garlic will sharpen. Re-warm gently before using.

*Adapted from healingfamilyeats.com/lime-crusted-cod-warm-olive-vinaigrette-aip/ by Kate Jay*