Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Chimichurri
Grilled shrimp on skewers brushed with bright, garlicky chimichurri — Argentina's herb-and-vinegar sauce whose name and exact origin remain one of food history's most enjoyably debated mysteries.
- 2 lbslarge shrimp(21-25 count, peeled, deveined, tails on)
- 2 tbspolive oil(for shrimp)
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 1 cupfresh parsley(finely chopped)
- 0.25 cupfresh oregano(finely chopped)
- 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
- 0.5 cupextra virgin olive oil(for chimichurri)
- 3 tbspred wine vinegar
- 0.5 tspred pepper flakes
- 12wooden skewers(soaked in water 30 minutes)
Chimichurri can be made up to 3 days ahead; refrigerate. Shrimp can be skewered up to 4 hours ahead; refrigerate. Grill just before serving.
- 1Make chimichurri: combine parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and pinch of salt
- 2Let chimichurri sit at least 15 minutes for flavors to meld
- 3Toss shrimp with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper
- 4Thread 4-5 shrimp onto each soaked skewer
- 5Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat
- 6Grill shrimp 2-3 minutes per side until pink and slightly charred
- 7Arrange on platter and spoon chimichurri generously over hot shrimp
- 8Serve immediately with extra chimichurri on the side
Don't overcook the shrimp - they should be just opaque. The chimichurri is best at room temperature, not cold. Flat-leaf parsley has more flavor than curly. For extra flavor, marinate shrimp in half the chimichurri for 30 minutes before grilling.
Chimichurri is Argentina's most famous condiment, an uncooked sauce of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and oregano that has been served alongside grilled meat — and is now beloved with grilled seafood — since at least the 19th century. Its origins are genuinely disputed, and the disagreement begins with the name. Wikipedia documents the two most credible linguistic theories: one derives chimichurri from the Basque word tximitxurri, meaning roughly "a hodgepodge" or "a mixture of several things in no particular order," plausible because large numbers of Basque settlers emigrated to Argentina and Uruguay in the 19th century and brought both culinary traditions and their language; another connects it to the Spanish chirriburri, meaning hubbub, which may itself trace to the Basque zurrumurru, meaning noise or rumour. The popular story that the sauce was created by an Irish immigrant named Jimmy McCurry, and that his name was corrupted into chimichurri through local pronunciation, makes for a good tale but has no contemporary documentary support, as Wikipedia confirms. Argentine journalist and historian Daniel Balmaceda told the BBC that the word may be of Pre-Columbian Quechua origin, used as a generic term for strongly flavoured sauces used to preserve and accompany meat — a function the sauce still performs today. What is undisputed is the sauce's role in Argentine asado culture: the gauchos, the nomadic horsemen who ranged the vast cattle-rich pampas of Argentina, developed a tradition of open-fire grilling that became central to national identity, and chimichurri — with its acid brightness cutting through the richness of char-grilled meat — has been its inseparable companion.