Different definitions of what a "sauce vierge" is

[Garlic Guy]

Wikipedia (and most of the recipes I can find online) describe a sauce vierge as "a French sauce made from olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomato and chopped basil".

 

However, in Larousse Gastronomique it is described as a sauce made from butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper; whipped until fluffy.

 

What's up with the differing definitions?

[nickrey]

Vierge means "virgin" which I suspect refers to the olive oil used in the sauce. How this translates to a butter based sauce is anyone's guess.

 

My 1977 version of Larousse doesn't have it at all. Michel Guerard has a recipe for Sauce Vierge in his 1976 'Cuisine Minceur' book that he also put in his book 'Cuisine Gourmande.'

 

His recipe is a bit more elaborate than that of more recent times. It also doesn't include either basil or lemon juice. His recipe has: tomatoes, garlic, chervil, parsley, tarragon, coriander seeds, fromage blanc, mustard, worcestershire sauce, and olive oil.

 

The use of olive oil rather than butter in a French sauce suggests to me that the concept stems from Guerard's Cuisine Minceur.

 

Michel Roux's version is closer to yours and I suspect that this is the one that has been picked up by the UK chefs and wikipedia as being "genuine."

 

 

Edited November 30, 2016 by nickrey (log)

[jmacnaughtan]

4 hours ago, nickrey said:

Vierge means "virgin" which I suspect refers to the olive oil used in the sauce. How this translates to a butter based sauce is anyone's guess.

 

It does mean virgin, but I'd rather take it to mean that it is not cooked.

[nickrey]

Could be, however Guerard's recipe specifies that it may be served hot by being warmed in a bain marie. The mystery continues.

[Garlic Guy]

The 1977 version should have it on page 967, where it says:

 

Quote

VIERGE  - Butter mixed with salt,  pepper  and  lemon juice,
beaten well in a bowl until it becomes frothy. This whipped
butter  is  served with asparagus  and  other  boiled vegetables.

 

The recent 2009 version has similar.

Edited November 30, 2016 by Garlic Guy (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Just now, Garlic Guy said:

The 1977 version should have it on page 967, where it says:

 

 

The recent 2009 version has similar.

 

 

How odd. I did a search using Eat Your Books and the Larousse Gastronomique was the only recipe (out of 122 recipes for sauce vierge) that includes butter.

 

https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes?q="sauce vierge" butter&sort=date_recipe_published desc&sortsmall=on

https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/5?q="sauce+vierge"&sort=date_recipe_published+desc&sortsmall=on

[Martin Fisher]

FWIW, via Saveur...

 

"Sauce vierge (literally, virgin sauce, a reference to its uncooked character) belongs to a family of fresh French Mediterranean sauces that differ greatly from the rich, stock-based sauces commonly associated with classical French cooking. Also called green sauce, sauce aux herbes, and sauce verte, it is usually a piquant mixture of olive oil, herbs, mustard, capers, olives, and other aromatics. In this version, chiles add a spicy, new-world dimension. Besides accompanying steak, this sauce goes well with grilled or sauteed pork chops or tuna."

[nickrey]

2 hours ago, Garlic Guy said:

The 1977 version should have it on page 967, where it says:

 

 

The recent 2009 version has similar.

 

My mistake, looked at sauces rather than under Vierge. It is on page 967. Still can't understand why it is the only sauce vierge I could find, including on French web sites, that uses butter.

Edited November 30, 2016 by nickrey
added second sentence (log)

[Paul Fink]

So, I searched French sites for "sauce vierge recette" and they  all have a recipe 
for an olive oil based sauce. Except I found this one which is for
"SAUCE MOUSSEUSE, DITE AUSSI BEURRE À LA VIERGE" translated means
"FOAMY SAUCE, ALSO KNOWN AS BUTTER VIRGIN"
http://www.cuisineetvinsdefrance.com/,sauce-mousseuse-dite-aussi-beurre-a-la-vierge,54606.asp

 

So then I searched for "BEURRE VIERGE" and I got a couple of hits for a butter based sauce..
 

Edited December 2, 2016 by Paul Fink (log)