Schug (Skug, Zhug, Zhoug) Sauce

Name: Schug (Skug, Zhug, Zhoug) Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 tsp Coriander Seed (1 teaspoon coriander seeds); 1 tsp Cumin Seeds (1 teaspoon cumin seeds); ½ cup Serrano Pepper (1/2 cup (or less! see notes above) seeded and roughly chopped fresh hot green chilies, such as serrano (2 to 4)); 2 cloves Garlic (2 to 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled — up to 3); 2 cup Cilantro (2 cups lightly packed cilantro leaves and stems); 2 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley (2 cups lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves and stems (rough stems removed)); 1 pinch Lemon (zest from one lemon); 3 tbsp Lemon Juice (juice from one lemon, about 3 tablespoons); 0 pieces Table Salt (salt and freshly cracked black pepper); ½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil)

A vibrant, spicy Middle Eastern herb sauce made by pulsing toasted spices, fresh chilies, garlic, cilantro, parsley, and lemon with olive oil.

10 minMiddle Eastern

Servings4

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Steps

1In a small skillet, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until they smell fragrant and have turned a shade darker in color. Transfer to a spice grinder or crush with a mortar and pestle.
2Put the chilies and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are fairly fine. Add the cilantro, parsley, lemon zest, reserved toasted spiced, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few twists of black pepper. Pulse until all is finely chopped into a rough purée. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil. Stop the processor before the sauce is completely blended and smooth—you want some texture. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with another 1/2 teaspoon salt (I always do), and pepper and lemon to taste.