Sunshine State Chimichurri

Our Nicky · March 2010

I served approximately 160 empanadas at the Sunshine State Eggfest with homemade chimichurri. I have to make it as I've never seen it for sale anywhere in Canada. As with many simple sauces/vinaigrettes there are myriad variations on the basic theme, some a little bizarre for my pedestrian tastes. I really like the original.

It is a simple accompaniment to many savory dishes. It's hard to describe the flavour and it doesn't taste like you think it would given the ingredients which are, parsley, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, vinegar, oil, water and salt. I think it's a case of 2+2=5. You can make it with dried herbs. I prefer fresh.

You will need
1 cup water
1 tbs salt
1 head garlic separated into cloves and peeled
1 cup flat leaf parsley
1 cup fresh oregano leaves
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup EVOO

Make salmuera by boiling the water and dissolving the salt in it. Allow to cool.

Mince the garlic into a medium bowl - I grate the cloves with a microplane grater. Try to avoid grating your fingernails along with the garlic.

Mince the parsley and oregano leaves. I use the parsley leaves and the stems which intensify the flavour and make the resulting product a little more fibrous and we all need more fibre - right! Add the herbs to the garlic and add the red pepper flakes

Whisk in the red wine vinegar, then the EVOO then the salmuera. Pour into a jar with a good lid and refrigerate for at least a day to allow the flavours to blend. It's that simple

For the Sunshine State Eggfest I chopped the herbs roughly and then put them in a tall beaker, poured in the liquids and beat the heck out of the mixture with an old Bamix immersion blender. It seemed to work. The chimichurri will keep for at least three weeks and probably longer in your refigerator.

With grateful acknowledgement to Francis Mallmann, a legendary Argentine chef.

Mr. & Mrs Potatohead · March 2010

This sounds VERY interesting!
Any other suggestions on what it may go well with / on?

Our Nicky · March 2010

If you haven't had it before the taste is, well.. it's surprising. It's a staple on restaurant tables in Argentina like ketchup and yellow mustard here.

It goes with meats of all kinds. It's good with smoked and cured meats. I've eaten it with cheese and bacon. It works well with stews and meat sauces like. You can add it to bolognaise or other well flavoured meat sauces.

It has a distinctive, assertive flavour that complements other robust flavours so while I've had it with fish, that's sort of sacreligious.

Its assertive in the same way that you can always taste fresh cilantro in a salsa, although it doesn't taste anything like cilantro.

If you're short on fresh herbs you can supplement with dried. You can make the whole thing with dried herbs - except the garlic. It just won't taste as good. You can use curly parsley in place of flat leaf but I prefer the flavour of flat leaf.

Whip some up; it only takes a few minutes. At a pinch you can toss all the ingredients into a food processor and buzz it for a minute or so to give you a sense of the flavours. It is definitely better for keeping. I always have some in my fridge.

Sunshine State Chimichurri

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