Chimichurri

Ingredients

• Flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped60 g
• Dried oregano2 tbsp
• Garlic6 clove
• Chilli flakes1 tsp
• Red wine vinegar60 ml
• Olive oil180 ml
• Warm water60 ml
• Coarse salt1 tsp

Salt and spices grow more slowly than the rest: doubling a dish does not double the pepper.

Weight converts to ounces and volume to cups. Grams of flour are not turned into cups, because that depends on how tightly it is packed.

Method

1. 1

   Dissolve the salt in the warm water: that spreads it evenly instead of leaving it on the bottom of the jar.

   2 min

2. 2

   Rub the dried oregano between your palms and steep it in the vinegar for five minutes: it softens and releases its scent.

   5 min

3. 3

   Chop the parsley and garlic fine with a knife. The garlic is chopped rather than crushed: crushed it gives a sharpness that never leaves.

   8 min

4. 4

   Mix everything together, pour in the oil and stir. Let it stand two hours at room temperature.

   5 min

About the dish

Chimichurri is not a pesto and is not meant to be smooth. Everything is chopped fine with a knife but stays visible; in a blender the herbs oxidise, darken and go flat.

The sauce needs at least two hours standing, better a day. Freshly mixed it is sharp and disjointed — the vinegar, oil and garlic have not met yet.

Dried oregano works better than fresh here, which is unusual. Fresh gives a grassy note; dried gives the dry spice the sauce is recognised by.

Worth knowing

• — It keeps two weeks in the fridge under a film of oil. Take it out half an hour before serving; cold oil thickens.
• — Vinegar to oil runs about one to three. Beyond that it is taste, but less vinegar makes the sauce heavy.
• — Chimichurri is not only for meat: it works just as well on roasted vegetables and grilled fish.

Nutrition

Per serving at the base yield, calculated from the ingredients rather than measured in a lab.

Calories

190 kcal

Protein

1 g

Fat

20 g

Carbs

2 g

More from Argentina

• Argentinian empanadas — Pastries of chopped beef, onion and egg. The filling is chilled cold, or the dough will not seal.