---
title: "Gremolata: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Gremolata is an Italian mix of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic, scattered over food just before serving to add a fresh, sharp finish to rich dishes."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/gremolata"
---

# Gremolata

Gremolata is an Italian mix of chopped parsley, lemon zest and garlic, scattered over food just before serving to add a fresh, sharp finish to rich dishes.

Also called Gremolada.

Gremolata is a dry Italian condiment of finely chopped parsley, lemon [zest](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/zest) and garlic. It is not cooked and has no oil. You sprinkle it over a dish at the end so its fresh, bright flavor cuts through rich, slow-cooked food. It is the classic finish for _osso buco_, braised veal shanks from Milan.

## How to do it

1. Zest 1 lemon with a [microplane](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/microplane) or fine grater, taking only the yellow part.
2. Finely [chop](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop) a small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, about 15 g (1/2 cup of leaves).
3. Mince or grate 1 small garlic clove.
4. Pile everything on the board and chop it together for a few seconds so the flavors mix.
5. Use it within an hour or two.

## How to use it

Scatter it over:

* Braised meats such as osso buco, short ribs and lamb shanks.
* Grilled or roasted fish, chicken and vegetables.
* Risotto, white beans, pasta and soups.

Change it to suit the dish. Use orange zest with duck or pork, add mint for lamb, or mix in toasted breadcrumbs or chopped nuts for crunch. A spoon of olive oil turns it into a loose sauce closer to [salsa verde](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde).

## How to store it

Gremolata is best fresh, as the zest dries out and the parsley wilts. Covered in the fridge, it keeps for 1 day.

## Common mistakes

* Including the white pith of the lemon, which is bitter.
* Using too much raw garlic, which overpowers the lemon and herb.
* Cooking it. Add it off the heat, at the table.
* Chopping the parsley while it is wet, which turns it into a paste.

## In recipes

Recipes may say "finish with gremolata" or "garnish with gremolata". It is a [garnish](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish) with a job: to wake up a rich dish.

## Gremolata recipes

1 recipe from the sites we collect.

* [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Actually-Delicious-Green-Detox-Soup-with-Toasted-Hemp-Gremolata-5.jpg)Green Detox Soup with Toasted Hemp Gremolatawww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/green-detox-soup/)

## Related terms

* [ZestZest is the thin, colored outer layer of citrus peel, full of fragrant oils. To zest a lemon is to scrape off that layer and leave the bitter pith.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/zest)
* [ChopTo chop is to cut food into small pieces of roughly the same size, without the exact shape of a dice. Recipes say roughly, coarsely or finely chopped.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chop)
* [Salsa verdeSalsa verde means green sauce. The Italian kind is herbs, capers, anchovy and oil; the Mexican kind is tomatillos and chili. Here is how to make both.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/salsa-verde)
* [ChimichurriChimichurri is an uncooked Argentine sauce of parsley, garlic, oregano, vinegar and oil. It is sharp, fresh and served with grilled steak and sausages.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chimichurri)
* [MicroplaneA microplane is a long, fine rasp grater for citrus zest, hard cheese, garlic, ginger and nutmeg. Here is how to use one well.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/microplane)
* [GarnishA garnish is a small edible finish added to a dish just before serving, such as herbs, citrus zest or toasted seeds, to add flavor, texture and color.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/garnish)

[More in sauces and stocks](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/sauces-and-stocks)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)