Argentine sauce chimichurri. Preparation of chumichurri sauce

Leading chefs believe that the "face" of any dish is made with seasonings, sauces, dressings and gravy. An exception can be considered only desserts. Without a pleasant and well-chosen sauce, even the finest dish will only be a miserable likeness of that taste wealth that the consumer could provide. If you agree with this opinion and necessarily spice up your food, you should definitely try the chimichouri sauce: it is very simple and very tasty, besides it is fragrant and beautiful. If you avoid South American sauces because of their severity, then this is unnecessary. Cimichurri - rather spicy than a hot dressing. Although, of course, it can be made more "evil."

Historical reference

What is known for sure is that the chimichouri sauce was "born" in Argentina. But the property of the cuisine of this country, he did not remain long and quickly became part of the culinary tradition of almost all of Latin America. Now he is preparing at home and served in restaurants in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Bolivia, and in other countries too.

The origin of the name is more vague. The word chimichurri is absent in any dictionary of the world and is known only as the name of the sauce. The most common, almost official version, says that it began with the capture by the British of the kingdom of Rio de La Plata, formerly Spanish territory. Planted in the prisons of the Spaniard with the aborigines, they demanded from the soldiers seasonings on an eerie mix of local dialects, Spanish and English. It sounded like "che-mi-curry", which was transformed with time in chimichurri.

A more exotic explanation is this: in the 19th century, colonists of Basque origin appeared in Argentina, who founded a settlement there. The local sauce impressed their imagination and was widely used by them. For his designation, they used their word tximitxurri. His exact translation is a mixture of several things. The version seems doubtful, as the colony was one, and the name of the sauce spread throughout Argentina, and after and around the world.

The subtleties of creation

If you want to get a real Argentine chimichouri sauce, you need to follow some simple rules. It is prepared very simply, the process takes literally minutes, but without following them you will have only a pale imitation of the world famous seasoning.

1. Chimichurri sauce should have a pronounced structure. If you use a blender, you need to turn it on at a low speed and stop in time. In the mass, the pieces of the components must be preserved. Homogeneous porridge - this is not it.
2. With spicy herbs in chimichurri sauce, only leaves go. However, in the presence of kitchen equipment and stems will be intermittent, but they are less aromatic and stand out more against the general background.
3. The solid components of the sauce are cut or grinded separately. Liquids - oil, vinegar, lemon juice - interfere manually, into the ready-made mass.
4. Chimichurri sauce should be prepared in advance: it must stand up so that its components take juices and flavors from each other.
5. Do not be greedy, buy a good olive oil for the sauce. Replacing it with any other is just killer for the chimichurri.

Ideally, all herbs and spices should be fresh. However, the opportunity to purchase such is not always provided, so with a sigh of frustration, they can be replaced by dried ones.

What is suitable for chimichurri

The sauce was originally intended for meat dishes, primarily beef. Over time, it spread to poultry and fish, as it excellently shades their flavor notes. Chimichurri sauce is also used for marinating - in this case it is sometimes slightly bred, making it more liquid. With the penetration of seasoning in Europe, its functions have expanded even more: it turned out that the chimichurri sauce is very harmonious with grilled vegetables. However, his main company still remains fried meat, poultry and fish.

Basic set

We can say that such a chimichouri sauce is a classic, it was from such components that the very first prototype was made. In it the basis was parsley - fresh and a lot. The company in the sauce it was garlic, too, in sufficient quantity. Made it liquid olive oil and wine vinegar - both white and red. In the original recipe spices were only salt with oregano and sometimes - hot pepper. Despite a rather poor list of ingredients, chimichurri sauce in this form is still popular in the homeland. The same version of it is most famous all over the world.

In the process of spreading to different countries, adapting to local tastes and in the course of experiments on the culinary sauce of the versions of chimichurri today a huge variety. Of the most frequently used components, you can name:

• Onion: shallot, salad, onion, green;
• Cilantro (for those who like its rather sharp smell and a peculiar taste);
• thyme;
• Leaves of laurel (in dried form);
• lemon juice; In some cases, zeolite is also used;
• Bulgarian pepper.

However, the perfection of limits does not know. Each cook, you can say, invents his own chimichurri sauce. Recipe may not even contain half of the original components.

"Poor" sauce

This version of chimichurri is so named only because it requires almost nothing. The taste of the sauce will always be rich, and in the vegetable season will cost a mere penny. For him finely chopped or grinded two large (that barely closed fingers) a bunch of parsley, two large onions (regular, bulb) and four Bulgarian red peppers. The liquid base is a glass of olive oil mixed with a third glass of wine vinegar. Salt with pepper - according to the preferences of the cook.

Chimichuri green sauce: recipe

This kind of Argentine seasoning, perhaps, is most famous in the countries of the Old World. There are a lot of options for its preparation. We chose the most fragrant, appetizing and spicy chimichouri green sauce. Of solid components you will need:

1. Bulgarian pepper, this time green - two pieces.
2. Hot chili, also green - one and a half pods.
3. A lush bunch of parsley.
4. Half a bunch of cilantro. If you are the enemy of this herb, increase the mass of greenery indicated in the previous paragraph.
5. Good stalk of celery.
6. Not a very large bunch of green onions. White ends are not thrown away, but also put into a chimichurri sauce.
7. Up to eight cloves of garlic.
8. A teaspoon of capers.
9. A few pieces of green olives.

All this turns into a total mass and is diluted with half a glass of olive unrefined oil with the addition of a spoonful of balsamic vinegar, the same volume of lemon juice and a pile of brine from the olives. Additional ingredients are black pepper, salt and sugar (it is usually dumped half as much as salts).

Tomato recipe

Quite an interesting way how to cook chimichurri sauce. Not so often in its variations are involved in tomatoes. Here they are. True, sun dried tomatoes are required, they are taken by weight equal to parsley. You also need green onions (just a feather), a third of the mass of a tomato. Another ingredient is a thick sweet red pepper. Garlic is laid in accordance with your attitude towards it, but at least two denticles should participate. Oregano is added in small amounts, so it can be seasoned and dried. For filling, olive oil mixed with wine vinegar, taken three times less, is used. Note that vinegar should be exactly red, white in this sauce does not harmonize - it conflicts with tomatoes.

Apple Chimicurri

Argentine sauce has traditionally been based on wine vinegar. However, this original recipe boldly departs from tradition: half a glass of olive oil is combined with a large pile (60 milliliters) of apple cider vinegar with a spoon of balsamic to refuel. From solid components, first of all, take coriander and parsley, along a large bunch. Those who do not accept coriander, from apple chimichurri will have to give up - the taste will not be the one that is conceived. Of spicy herbs you need more basil and oregano, a few twigs. In the absence of fresh grass, dried spices will fit perfectly - according to a dessert spoon. Plus a green sweet and a little hot peppers. And most importantly - half a small sweet and sour apple. This chimichouri sauce is ideal for fish and poultry.

Procurement for chimichurri

True gourmets may consider it a profanity of high art, since dried herbs are used. However, lovers of picnics in nature and cooked on open fire of meat such a preparation is very useful - and for pickling shish kebab, and for its eating. In a tightly closed container, three large spoons of basil and oregano are mixed, two - parsley, sea salt and thyme, one - chabera, smoked paprika and ground black pepper. Garlic powder and red pepper strews two small spoons (the latter can be and less). On the eve of the planned departure for fresh air, the container is shaken, a quarter of the contents are extracted and bottled in a bottle with half a glass of olive oil and three tablespoons of wine red vinegar. Night of insistence - and you are ready for battle! And if you dilute the sauce early, you will have time to soak the meat.