Mint Chimichurri Sauce
In preparation for the long holiday weekend, I hit up the farmer’s market for some mint so that I could practice making Mojito’s for a party we’re going to. I like to practice things before I do them in front of a bunch of people. So I at least look somewhat competent before I go off into wasted world, along with everyone else. Although, now that I think about it…practicing making a drink for a week is kind of like practicing for making a baby.
I’ve been working on making these drinks a bunch of different ways and finally found the best (easiest) way to get consistent results. But I still had a ton of mint left over. (I’ll divulge my Mojito secrets in a later post.) When my beloved called the other afternoon inquiring about dinner I had just conquered the mint to lime ratio Mojito dilemma and he caught me in a state of delirium and floating in the happy buzzed land. When I told him we were going to have Mojito’s for dinner, to celebrate my victory, I suddenly felt like I was getting a lecture from my mother on why I could not have a bowl of ice cream for dinner. So I acquiesced and told him not to worry…he would not be having a liquid dinner. I still have a ton of mint that won’t make it to the weekend and my neighbors would probably think I’ve totally lost my mind if I start delivering mint laden Mojito’s to their doors.
I open the fridge to find that there’s a bunch of leftover chicken in there, so I decided to make a mint chimichurri sauce to 1) use up the mint that I’ve been banished from using for drinks until the weekend and 2) cover up the leftovers and make it look and taste better than just dumping it on another salad.
I didn’t tell him what I had made, but after one bite he was hooked. After a bit of coercion, I told him that I had used the rest of the mint for the chimichurri (green sauce) that was drizzled on top of the chicken. With the citrus and garlic you don’t get an overly minty sensation, but you can tell there is a different flavor than say parsely and it’s not nearly as strong as cilantro. Chimichurri sauce is different from pesto in that it is a “looser” mixture than pesto…there’s more oil in it so that it pours easier. This would taste fantastic on shrimp or as a dip for veggies too.
Ingredients
- 1 Large Bunch Mint (leaves only)
- 1 Large Garlic Cloves
- 1 Lime, Juiced
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1/4Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil (extra virgin, if possible)
Directions
Put the mint, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely minced. In a small mixing bowl put minced mint and garlic, add lime juice salt, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir to combine. Pour in the olive oil and mix until well combined. Let sit for 30 minutes or overnight so that the flavors blend.
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May 23, 2009 • 0 comments