Not long ago, I was flipping through Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, Michael Solomonov’s excellent cookbook based on recipes from his Philadelphia restaurant of the same name. His hummus is legendary, rightly so, and the twice cooked eggplant is something to behold. I was fascinated with a recipe for a Yemenite condiment called schug. I have zero knowledge of Yemenite cuisine and the recipe sounded fantastic – green chilies and lots of fresh parsley and cilantro. Given that I had a lot of the ingredients on hand from my garden plot that needed a purpose, I decided to give it a shot.
I know very little about Yemen in general. I know it is a country in turmoil, ravaged by a war that we in the US don’t hear of nearly enough. It is an Arab country on the southern end of the Arab Peninsula and the poorest in the Middle East due to civil war, corruption, and economic mismanagement. If I hadn’t visited Oman, which it borders to the east-northeast (and Saudia Arabia to the north), I’m not sure I could point it out on a map. Middle East geography has never been my strong suit. Although this type of sauce is Yemenite in origin, it’s now used throughout Israel as a favorite fiery condiment and has become justly popular at Zahav. Typical of most great recipes, it has traveled and become quite at home elsewhere. An immigrant recipe, if you will.
Schug (or sometimes zhoug, s’chug or shoug) is a potent condiment based on fresh green chilies, bright green herbs, garlic, lemon juice and oil. Solomonov’s recipe uses serranos, which are spicy but not overly so but he says you can use whatever chilies you like, including poblanos to bring down the heat if desired. I especially like that he adds a good bit of ground cardamom and coriander too. While this one is green, sort of pesto like in appearance, there are red versions too, using red chilies and some versions are even made with dried chilies. It’s reminds me a lot of a chimichurri; a really kicked up chimichurri. While the sauce is certainly hot, it’s not overly so, and is brightly flavored and full bodied. A little warning: it is just a little addictive. I found myself putting it on everything.
The recipe comes together really easily in the food processor, a string of buzzes and you’re there. So now that you’ve got the schug, what do you do with it? At it’s simplest, just drizzle it over bread or grilled meats. I discovered that it made a humble quesadilla really wonderful. Something about the chilies and fresh herbs really elevates a simple cheesy tortilla. Stir a spoonful into a bowl of soup, fold some into your morning scrambled eggs or do as they do at Zahav; drizzle it on hummus. So so good. I’ve added a bit into rice pilafs, mixed it with yogurt for a delicious dip and my current favorite is to use it as a marinade for chicken. I can only imagine how good it would be on a falafel or schwarma sandwich; in fact it is very possible this is the mystery sauce a favorite restaurant tucks into its sandwiches. It’s really delicious and though I’ve yet to try it, I bet it would be wonderful on a nice piece of flaky white fish. Oh – remember that Buttermilk Garlic Sauce from last week? The two make for a crazy good pair on grilled meats.
STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: BRIGHT HEAT. Holy smokes, is this good! Spicy, fresh and full of bright flavors, it will certainly wake you up. Any green chilies will work – serranos will add a little heat with some fruitiness, jalapenos will give straight heat, or mix in some poblanos to diffuse some of that spice if you like. Big handfuls of cilantro and parsley add a wonderful fresh herbal note, lemon adds a little acid, and the spices add great flavor. If your meals need a little update, give this one a shot. Regardless, make this now. You’ll find yourself adding it to everything.
other great middle eastern recipes: Toum and Lamb Chops (Lebanese Garlic Spread), Ottolenghi and Buttermilk Garlic Sauce, Tabbouleh Salad, Pumpkin Hummus, Smoky Baba Ghanoush, Farro Tabbouleh, Chicken Shawarma Pocket Sandwich, Muhammara – the best sauce you’ve never heard of
Eight years ago: Classic Apple Pie, Ratatouille
Seven years ago: Bangkok World Gourmet Festival
Six years ago: PB&J Bars
Five years ago: Kale & Squash Salad
Four years ago: Spiced Honey Maple Roasted Pears
Three years ago: Whole Wheat English Muffins
Two years ago: Cotija Cumin Shortbread
Last year: Chicken Wing Friday – Miso Honey Butter Chicken Wings
YEMEN SCHUG – recipe from Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
Makes 1 ½ cups
I’ve made the recipe as written, with little variation, several times. One of these days I just may branch out to try a red version or mix up the spices a little.
20 serrano chilies, (just over ¼ pound), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup parsley leaves
1 cup cilantro leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon ground cardamom
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
- Combine the serrano chilies, parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, cardamom, coriander, and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms.
- Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the oil—the sauce should be streaky and broken, not smooth and emulsified.
- Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
STRESSCAKE 
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