Guasacaca
Guasacaca is a Venezuelan green sauce of avocado, herbs, sweet pepper and onion, sharpened with vinegar or lime. It is served with grilled meat, arepas and empanadas.
Salsa de ajo (Venezuelan garlic sauce)
Salsa de ajo · Salsa de ajo venezolana
Salsa de ajo is a creamy Venezuelan garlic sauce made from mayonnaise blended with fresh garlic, herbs, green onion and vinegar. It is served with empanadas, arepas and grilled meat.
A mayonnaise-based garlic sauce
Salsa de ajo is a creamy, pale sauce whose strong character comes from fresh garlic, carried by the mayonnaise. In the home recipe the mayonnaise is blended with a green herb paste of parsley, cilantro and green onion, bound in neutral oil and sharpened with vinegar. The result is smooth and stays liquid when chilled, so it can be spooned or drizzled.
Unlike citrus mojo, which is an oil-and-citrus marinade, this sauce uses an emulsified base. That is what makes it a distinct sauce, and what its texture depends on.
Sources for this section
Making it at home
The method is quick. The herbs, green onion, garlic, oil, water, vinegar and salt are blended to a smooth paste first, and the paste is then mixed into the mayonnaise. The source gives five minutes of preparation time for a yield of about two cups.
The source advises against olive oil, which it says changes the flavour of the sauce.
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Serving
The recipe source suggests serving the sauce with empanadas, which its author says is the family's favourite, at about a teaspoon per bite; on arepas; as a dip for grilled meat, skewers, fries and yuca fries; as a spread for sandwiches, wraps and burgers; and as a finishing sauce for roasted vegetables.
Sources for this section
Keeping it and open questions
The author advises storage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, shaken before use. These are the author's figures and are not tested limits. Open questions: the sauce's history and origin are not documented in the sources read, and the sources do not say how far the garlic intensity changes over refrigerated holding.
Sources for this section
History
No history for the sauce is given in the sources read. The recipe source calls it a Venezuelan recipe and gives no date, origin or documented early form.
Ingredients
Parsley leavespacked, about ¼ cup
8 g
Cilantro leavespacked, about ¼ cup
8 g
Green onionswhite part, chopped, about ½ cup
60 g
Neutral oil
60 mL
avocado, vegetable or canola; the source advises against olive oilWater
30 mL
2 tablespoonsVinegar
10 mL
2 teaspoons, apple cider or white1.25 g
¼ teaspoonGarlicpeeled and minced
2 clove
one to two cloves in the source; the author used twoMayonnaise
240 g
1 cup in the sourceMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
The recipe source advises keeping leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. This is the author's advice, not a tested limit; the sauce is uncooked and contains raw garlic and mayonnaise.
- Blend the parsley, cilantro, green onions, oil, water, vinegar, salt and garlic in a small food processor or blender until smooth.
- Add the herb mixture to the mayonnaise and mix well.
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve chilled, shaking or stirring before use.
Places
Venezuela
Documented use · Country evidenceThe recipe source labels it Venezuelan; it gives no history or local origin.
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Sources
Mommy's Home CookingIngredients · Method · Serving · Storage
Venezuelan Garlic Sauce (Salsa de Ajo Venezolana)Yield about 2 cups; 5-minute preparation.
Ingredients: ¼ cup parsley, ¼ cup cilantro, ½ cup green onion (white part), ¼ cup neutral oil (advises against olive oil), 2 tablespoons water, 2 teaspoons vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 to 2 garlic cloves, 1 cup mayonnaise.
Method: blend herbs, oil, water, vinegar, salt and garlic until smooth; add to mayonnaise and mix.
Storage: airtight container, refrigerator, up to 10 days.
Serving: empanadas, arepas, grilled meat, fries, sandwiches, roasted vegetables.
Cited in: A mayonnaise-based garlic sauce; Making it at home; Serving; Keeping it and open questions