Cookbook:Chimichurri

Chimichurri
Category	Argentine recipes
Servings	2
Time	15 minutes + 1 hour preparation and overnight–3 days to rest

Chimichurri on a chorizo sandwich.

Chimichurri is a South American sauce for meats containing primarily oil, vinegar, parsley, red chilli and herbs. There are many different variants of chimichurri, and every cook will have their own private recipe. Chimichurri can be used as a marinade or sauce for grilled or roasted meats, or as a dipping sauce for empanadas

Ingeredients

• 100 ml olive oil
• 50 ml white wine vinegar
• 50 ml water
• 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Red chilli flakes, to taste
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Optional ingredients

Depending on taste you can add any combination of the following:

• 1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp bay leaf, small flakes
• 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (instead of green pepper, if used)

Red chimichurri

• 50 ml red wine vinegar (instead of white wine vinegar)
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped

Method

• Combine all the ingredient except the oil, vinegar and water to a large bowl and mix together well, ensuring all the herbs and spices (especially the salt) are distributed evenly.
• Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Bring the the the vinegar and water to the boil, add to the other ingredients and mix well. This helps to soften the taste of the onion and garlic.
• Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Add the oil and mix well. If the liquid part doesn't cover the ingredients add oil water and vinegar in a 2:1:1 ratio to cover them.
• Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate overnight at least, or better, for a few days.
• When needed, remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes ahead of time to allow the oil to thin out again. Stir well and serve.