A rustic, lively red chimichurri-style sauce made with grilled tomatoes, garlic, parsley, oregano, vinegar, and olive oil. Traditionally served with grilled meats, it can also be used as a marinade.
Ingredients
- 650 g ripe tomatoes for grilling
- 120 g yellow onion
- 3 cloves fresh garlic
- 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
- 90 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Method
- Heat a grill, griddle, or cast-iron skillet over high heat until the surface is very hot and a drop of water dances before evaporating.
- Wash the tomatoes and dry them thoroughly, then place them whole or halved depending on their size on the hot surface. Grill them without moving them at first, until the skin blisters and blackens in places and the flesh begins to collapse.
- Add the onion to the same cooking surface and let it take on marks until the faces are well browned, the edges slightly charred, and a sweet, grilled aroma develops.
- Remove the grilled vegetables to a deep dish. Let them cool just enough to handle, then remove only the truly charred pieces of skin from the tomatoes, without trying to make a smooth purée or peel them perfectly.
- Chop the grilled tomatoes with their juices using a knife, finely enough for a thick sauce while keeping an uneven texture. Chop the grilled onion as well.
- Crush the garlic with the salt until you have a coarse paste. This releases the garlic's juices and prevents harsh pieces in the sauce.
- Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley, keeping mostly the leaves and the most tender stems. The aroma should remain fresh and green.
- Combine the grilled tomatoes, onion, crushed garlic, parsley, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix with a spoon, without blending, to preserve the rustic texture.
- Pour in the red wine vinegar and mix until the sauce becomes glossy and the acidity is distributed through the tomato pulp.
- Incorporate the olive oil in a thin stream, stirring gently. The sauce should remain slightly separated in places, with a glistening surface, rather than becoming a perfectly uniform emulsion.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce should be bright, just salty enough, herbaceous, slightly spicy, and distinctly marked by the grill.
- Cover and let rest at room temperature before serving so the garlic, herbs, oil, and vinegar can flavor the tomato. Stir once more just before spooning over grilled meat or serving as a condiment.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 264.2 kcal
- Protein
- 2.61 g
- Carbohydrate
- 12.04 g
- Fat
- 23.01 g
- Fibre
- 3.86 g
- Calcium
- 51.74 mg
- Iron
- 1.42 mg
- Magnesium
- 13.46 mg
