Renzo’s Zhug

Char the serrano peppers in a pan, then pulse in a food processor.

Toast each spice individually in a pan. Grind the spices together in a spice grinder and set aside.

Add the washed and picked herbs to the chiles in the food processor with a splash of oil. Pulse a few times. Add the remaining oil and the ground spices. Run the food processor until the ingredients are mixed and the herbs are finely chopped. If serving the zhug right away, season with salt and plenty of lemon to taste. Otherwise, transfer the mixture to a container, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a month. Add the lemon and salt when ready to use.

Advanced home cooks: to replicate the true Renzo zhug, try fermenting the serrano peppers. Start by adding salt to the charred and processed chiles. Transfer to a container. Cover the mixture with a weight (plastic bags filled with water work well); anything that offers total surface coverage. Then place a cheesecloth over the container and let the chiles sit out at room temperature for about a month. This might sound like a lot of trouble, but multiplying the batch by five will provide enough fermented chiles to last all year; use them on any number of dishes.

From “How to Make Zhug.”

Notes & tips

Pronounced skhoog: Zhug (sometimes spelled zhoug, schoug, or s’chug) is a staple in Israeli cuisine, brought north by Yemenite Jews. Gaudreau says Renzo’s version is very classic, ”similar to the zhug found in shawarma shops all over Israel.”

Crowd Pleaser: Gaudreau suggests serving a favorite roasted vegetable alongside yogurt, zhug, charred bread, and lemon at your next dinner party.

Verdant & Versatile: “Zhug is the perfect condiment for anything you want herbal and spicy, from sandwiches to whole roasted lamb shoulder,” says Gaudreau.