What is Pistou?
Pistou literally means “to pound” in ProvenƧal dialect because it was made by putting ingredients into a mortar and pestle. It is very similar to pesto, but Pistou is made with fresh herbs like basil, and then garlic, olive oil, and salt- without the addition of pine nuts and cheese that you would find in Pesto. So, itās naturally the vegan version of pesto. Itās interesting that Pistou comes from Nice, France, about an hour train ride to Italy so itās no wonder itās so similar to pesto.Ā
Originally it doesn’t use cheese, but if you’re a cheese lover, you can used grated Gruyere to get that authentic French vibe.
Enjoy this herbaceous green sauce in anything from roasted vegetables, grilled fish, eggs, pasta, bread or swirled in carrot soup.Ā
Connor and I changed it up and used carrot tops and basil to make our sauce than just the traditional basil. Donāt throw out your carrot tops! This is a great way to use the whole carrot and all. You can cook the carrots and then serve this sauce right on top for a 100% carrot dish. Hope you enjoy this simple sauce from Provence!
.
CARROT PISTOU with POACHED EGG and BOILED CARROTS
Ingredients:Ā
Carrot Top Pistou:
ācarrot tops from one bunch of carrots, basil, mint and/or parsley (about 2 cups greens total)
āĀ½ lemon, juiced
āĀ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
ā1 garlic clove
ā1 pinch salt
ā2 carrots, quartered lengthwise
ā1 egg
āsplash of white wine vinegar or other vinegar
āred pepper flakes (optional)
Directions:Ā
1. Blend all pistou ingredients in a food processor, mortar and pestle or chop by hand. Add more olive oil to reach your desired consistency. Keeps in the fridge a couple days but will start to turn darker in color. It is still good to eat.Ā
.
Slow down greens from darkening by blanching greens in salted water and shocking them in ice water before chopping. You can also freeze pistou immediately in ice cube trays.
2. To boil carrots, bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water with a pinch or two of salt. Drop carrots in and boil for about 5 minutes, or fork tender. Then, take them out and place them on a paper towel to drain. Keep the pot of water at a simmer to cook your poached egg.
3. To make the poached egg, add a splash of vinegar (about 1 Tablespoon) to the simmering water in the pot. Lower the heat to a medium low boil if not low already. You want a gentle heat for eggs. Use a spoon to swirl the water in a clockwise motion in the pot.
Crack your egg into a cup before placing in the simmering water. When water is swirling and water is at a low simmer, drop egg from the cup in. Use a slotted spoon to coax the egg into forming a nice round shape. Cook for 2-3 minutes depending how cooked you like your yolk.
When ready, use a slotted spoon to fish out the egg and place on a paper towel to drain excess water.Ā
4.
To plate, put some carrots on the plate, and stack them criss-crossed if you like. Then, place poached egg on top of the carrots. Drizzle with pistou and sprinkle with red pepper flakes if desired. Serve with crusty bread or just as is. It is a substantial, satisfying breakfast.
