Gremolata Recipe

This delicious homemade gremolata is a classic garnish I make with finely minced Italian flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Three ingredients, 10 minutes, and the brightest, most garlicky finish I put on my osso buco, roasted meats, and pasta.

Gremolata

Gremolata is a classic Italian garnish from Milan of finely minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. The name comes from the Milanese gramola, meaning to grind or finely chop, which is exactly what the three ingredients get before they go into the bowl. Its main purpose is to flavor and perfume any dish the spoonful goes on, and it is traditionally served across the top of osso buco to cut through the richness of the braised shank and the marrow.

Making gremolata is really just knife work, and the whole recipe stands or falls on how fine the mince is. Big chunks of raw garlic ruin the whole spoonful, no exceptions. The Italian flat-leaf parsley gets a rough chop first to break down the leaves, then a fine mince across the whole pile until the knife is almost cutting through paste. The garlic clove gets a fine mince so it dissolves into the herbs instead of hitting the tongue in a raw chunk. No, thank you. The lemon zest comes off with a Microplane too, no white pith, and then all three go into a small bowl and get a stir. That’s the classic version I’ll show you in detail below.

But guess what? I have a sweet tooth, so I’m also going to share my own in-house variation, the one I make most often. It includes a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil, a teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. It basically becomes an Italian-style chimichurri, and it’s absolutely delicious on beef, chicken, fish, pork, roasted vegetables, or even a simple bowl of pasta. Sounds good? Let’s cook!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here is what goes into the bowl and what each one is doing for the finished homemade gremolata:

• Italian flat-leaf parsley – The main ingredient in the garnish, and the reason gremolata tastes green and earthy instead of muddy. Curly works if that is what is at the store, and the stems come along in the mince because most of the herbaceous flavor is in them.
• Lemon zest. The brightener and the perfumer. The oils in the zest are what deliver the citrus flavor onto the meat. Go a little heavy here.
• Garlic. Who doesn’t love a little garlicky umami flavor? Since it’s used raw, you don’t need much to make a big impact. Finely mince it or grate it on a Microplane so it blends right into the parsley.

How to Make Gremolata

Mince the parsley: Rough chop a whole bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley, stems and all, on a cutting board to break down the leaves. Then go over the pile a second time with a sharp chef’s knife, rocking through it, until every leaf and stem is finely minced.

Zest the lemon: Zest one large lemon over a Microplane, rotating the fruit as the yellow comes off, and stopping the second the white pith shows underneath.

Mince the garlic: Peel one garlic clove and finely mince it on the board, or grate it on a Microplane straight into the bowl. It is going in raw, so a paste-fine mince is the goal.

Combine and chill or serve: Add the minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic to a small bowl and stir with a spoon until the three are fully folded together. Serve right away over an osso buco, a roast, or a pan-seared protein, or cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors get to know each other.

Optional sweet variation: For the house version, stir in 2 tablespoons of good olive oil, a teaspoon of honey, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a small pinch of salt and pepper. That is my Italian chimichurri, and it goes on almost anything coming off the grill or out of the oven. This is so good you guys!

Serving Suggestions

As I mentioned earlier, the classical home for a spoonful of gremolata is straight across the top of veal osso buco. From there it goes on almost anything rich coming out of the stove. I add it over my braised lamb shanks, and I finish a whole roasted chicken with a heavy scatter. Spoon it over the sliced breast and thighs so ever bite tastes bright the whole way through.

The sweet variation (well, this is my favorite) with the olive oil and honey stirred in. This is where the garnish becomes an all-year sauce. I spoon it over my juicy pork tenderloin instead of a pan sauce, drizzle it on pan-seared scallops as they come out of the pan. Finish a plate of roasted carrots with a heavy spoonful right before serving and, Yes, that’s how good it is! I’m not kidding when I say I can put it on almost everything. Ha!

Make Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 3 days ahead of time. Simply keep it covered in the refrigerator.

How to Store: I cover the bowl or transfer the gremolata into a small sealed container and keep it in the fridge for up to a week. The parsley will darken a touch after a few days, but the flavor holds fine.

How to Freeze: I portion leftover gremolata into a silicone ice cube tray, freeze until solid. I then pop the cubes into a labeled freezer bag for up to 2 months.

More Sauces To Make at Home

• Chipotle Mayo
• Cajun Remoulade
• Mustard BBQ Sauce
• Horseradish Sauce
• Salsa Roja