Today's Times had a piece on pesto that got me hungry, so I decided to make some myself. (Click the image for a slide show of the process, which begins in the garden).
Contrary to the article, I think the key to good pesto is a mortar and pestle. Why? Because a solid pounding releases moisture in the basil leaves, which means you use less olive oil. And I hate greasy noodles. It also takes less time than a food processor, since you don't have to clean up the machine. But this advice works best for a small batch, which is all I ever make these days since the stuff you make and put in the freezer doesn't compare.
I kept a loose eye on my watch during the process and found it takes about three minutes to pound basil into pesto. The key is to pound it with salt, garlic and pine nuts, which help the leaves break down. While the pasta was boiling, I made and ate a salad.
It was an extremely pleasant repast and took all of 35 minutes.
So, are you Sam or Alice Waters, because that is a complete Alice Waters moment right there. The two of you have inspired me to want to purchase a mortar and pestle for my "cooking." Thanks for the delicious slideshow!
Posted by: Hillary | October 11, 2007 at 01:03 PM
Three cheers for the mortar and pestle, and thanks for the tip on breaking down the basil leaves. I occasionally use my mortar and pestle for basil, but more often make harissa (spicy North African rub).
I'm always surprised that I don't crack one of my mortars, which looks very much like yours.
Posted by: JC Costello | October 11, 2007 at 01:19 PM
Yesterday I made the famous No-Knead bread recipe, and though it tasted good, my husband just shook his head. "Kneading is the best part of making bread!" he said. Thus, he got himself the job of bread-baker this weekend. As for pesto, I have become so used to using the food processor that I haven't thought of this method for awhile -- although it's the way I learned 25 years ago. So thanks; you've inspired me to revisit the old ways. Who knows? Maybe that will be the best part of making pesto!
Posted by: kim | October 12, 2007 at 04:45 PM
a mortar and pestle also does a much better job than a food processor of extracting the essential oils from the basil leaves.
Posted by: Ed Bruske | October 13, 2007 at 05:34 PM
Ed, Maybe that's the "moisture" I talked about - it's really the essential oils.
Kim, no-knead bread is great, the rise is what expands the gluten. But I like kneading too, slamming the dough down on the counter. Stretching the dough also works well if you don't want to do the muscle work of kneading. All have their place.
I also used a food processor for years thinking a mortar and pestle was crazy. Then I tried it and it was just as fast or faster with far less olive oil and thus more basil flavor.
Posted by: Sam Fromartz | October 15, 2007 at 12:32 PM