I had some flounder that needed to be cooked up, and instead of cooking it the same way that I always do {cooked in the skillet with a little bit of olive oil so it gets nice and crispy...the way that my Dad makes it!} I decided to mix it up a bit. Since the sun has decided to come out again, I've been itching to use the grill. Boom. I decided it would be grilled...now for some spices. I flipped through one of my GOURMET magazines for inspiration and found a simple and delicious recipe for Chimichurri. This brought me back to an Anthony Bourdain episode when he was traveling and eating his way through Uruguay...and there, Chimchurri is served with everything! Anyways, the recipe in GOURMET called for Halibut, but flounder would work just fine. This could also be quite nice with some swordfish or drumfish. Anyways, here is a very interesting bit about Chimichurri {NOT to be confused with the Dominican 'taco-esque' dish 'chimichurris'}:
Chimichurri or Chimmichurri is a kind of green sauce, also used as a marinade, for grilled meat. It is originally from ARGENTINA and URUGUAY but is now used in countries as far north as Mexico. There are various fanciful etymologies for the word. One story claims that it comes from 'Jimmy McCurry', an Irishman who is said to have first prepared the sauce. He was marching with the troops of General Jasson Ospinan in the 19th century, sympathetic to the cause of Argentine Independence. The sauce was popular and the recipe was passed on. However, 'Jimmy McCurry' was difficult for the native people to say. Some sources claim Jimmy's sauce's name was corrupted to 'chimichurri', while others say it was changed in his honor. Other similar stories involve Jimmy Curry, an English meat importer; a Scot, James C. Hurray, travelling with Gauchos; and an English family in Patagonia overheard by the group of Argentinians that were with them while saying "give me the curry". All the stories share an English speaking colonist and the corruption of names or words by the local population.
Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, vegetable oil or olive oil, white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Additional flavorings such as paprika, oregano, cumin, thyme, cilantro, lemon and bay leaf may also be added. It is usually the only seasoning for steak and chorizo sausages in Argentina asados. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat. Chimichurri is also available bottled or dehydrated for preparing with oil and water.
The preparation is likely a mixture of Spanish and Italian methods, a general reflection of Argentine society as a whole.
Here is the recipe I used for Chimichurri:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot
- 3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parlsey
> Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper until well blended. Stir in parsley. Let chimichurri sit for 20 minutes.
> Meanwhile prepare the grill for direct-heat cooking over medium heat charcoal {or in my case with the gas grill, MED heat}
> Pat fish dry, then brush with just a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
> Grill fish, covered only if using the gas grill, turning once. The whole grilling process should take about 10 minutes.
> Serve fish drizzled with some Chimichurri, serve remainder on the side.
*I grilled my fish with some Chimichurri ON it...it's totally up to you.
I served my fish with some Lemon Rice. I had some leftover cooked Basmati Rice and I threw it in the skillet, a little bit of olive oil, with a teaspoon of turmeric, a teaspoon of mustard seeds, a teaspoon of dried mint, squeezed half a lemon into it, and a little dash of salt. MmMm good.
