Sauce vierge (French, literally "virgin sauce") is a French sauce popularised by Michel GuérardatEugénie-les-Bains in the 1980's. [1].
The main ingredients of a sauce vierge are olive oil, lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, crushed coriander seed and chopped basil. Variations may include the addition of other herbs such as chervil, chives, parsley, etc. The ingredients are combined and allowed to infuseormacerate (depending whether heat is applied or not) in the oil.
In its original form, the sauce was intended as a Mediterranean preparation and contained alot of garlic. It was served either hot or cold after infusing the herbs in the oil.
The sauce has become a modern classic, and is most often served with shellfish, white-fleshed fish and sometimes pasta.