Procedente de Uruguay, el chimichurri!
Chimichurri is a famous fresh sauce originating from the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. It can be used in cooking or as a condiment on dining tables paired with grilled meat. Chimichurri comes in two different versions: red (chimichurri rojo) and green (chimichurri verde). Green chimichurri’s main ingredients consist of very finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, olive oil and red wine vinegar. In the red version of chimichurri, finely diced tomatoes and red bell peppers are added. Basically, the chimichurri has dominant parsley and garlic flavours.
It is said that Jimmy McCurry, an Irishman who was in the army in the 19th century, first prepared the unique sauce. The sauce was so popular that the recipe had been passed on to Latin Americans. However, his name ‘Jimmy McCurry’ was difficult for locals to pronounce; hence it was corrupted to ‘chimichurri’ instead. The name ‘chimichurri’ also probably came from Basque tximitxurri, which can be translated as “a mixture of several things in no particular order”.
Chimichurri can be used as a marinade for meat, brushed, spooned onto cooking meat or rested on already cooked meat. What better way to pair chimichurri than with chicken? How would you like your chicken to be cooked?
Serving: 4 pax
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Olive oil
- Garlic, minced
- Oregano
- Vinegar
- Tomatoes (optional)
- Red bell peppers (optional)
- 4 pieces of Chicken breasts, butterfly-cut
Directions:
- Place the parsley, minced garlic, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes (optional) and red bell peppers (optional) into a bowl and mix well.
- Marinade the chicken breasts with the chimichurri sauce made earlier for about 30 minutes. **Alternatively, you can scoop up some chimichurri onto the chicken breasts while cooking or rest the chimichurri as a sauce on cooked chicken breasts.
Chimichurri Chicken Chop in 3 Ways:
- Grill: Place chicken breasts on a preheated grill with a closed lid for about 15-20 minutes per side (varies according to own grills) or until the juices run dry. Check your chicken often to ensure it is not burnt.
- Bake: Grease the bottom of your pan with oil or butter. Lay the marinated chicken breasts on the pan. Bake in the preheated oven at 230°C uncovered for 25-35 minutes.
- Pan Fry: On a preheated over medium heat skillet, pan-fry the marinated chimichurri chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes on each side. Covering with a lid will allow the chicken to cook thoroughly without burning. Small pieces of herbs from the chimichurri sauce may char but it is normal.
