Chimichurri Shrimp
Blog: www.nextinlime.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For chimichurri sauce
- 1 cup (60 g) flat leaf parsley - finely chopped or minced. Measure after chopping. See Note A below
- 3 cloves (1 tablespoon) garlic - freshly minced or grated
- 1 small red chili pepper - finely chopped-optional. Around ¼ tsp chopped chilies. See Note B
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano - see Note C
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes - optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar - see Note D
- 1 tablespoon water - use warm water
For Shrimp
- 1 pound (454 g) large or jumbo shrimp - raw, peeled and deveined. See Note E
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - for cooking shrimp
Garnish
- a few lemon slices/wedges
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the shrimp, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently to coat the shrimp. Cover and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the chimichurri ingredients (chopped parsley, minced garlic, chopped red chili pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cumin, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil, and red wine vinegar). Then add warm water, mix again, and set aside.
- Now for cooking the shrimp, heat the oil in a large skillet/pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated shrimp in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until cooked through and opaque. Shrimp can overcook easily, so keep a close eye.
- Remove the shrimp from the skillet/pan and transfer to a bowl. Pour ⅔ portion of chimichurri sauce over the shrimp and gently stir until the shrimp is coated with the sauce.
- Serve the chimichurri shrimp with the remaining ⅓ portion of the chimichurri sauce on the side and a few slices/wedges of lemon.
Notes
Note A: Parsley - Use only the leaves and tender stems of flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley), not the thicker stems. Cilantro or a combination of both herbs can also be used. To ensure that the right amount of parsley is used, pack the leaves tightly into a measuring cup after you have chopped them. Do not use curly parsley.
Note B: Red Chili Pepper - Mild varieties like Anaheim or Pimiento, medium hot peppers like Fresno or Jalapeno, or very hot varieties like Cayenne or Thai bird's eye chilies are good options. I prefer red varieties for a pop of color, but green chilies are also fine. To avoid making the chimichurri too spicy, do not add more than ¼ teaspoon of finely chopped chilies initially. Then taste the chimichurri and add more chilies if you like
Note C: Dried Oregano - You can use fresh oregano instead. But use three times as much compared to the amount of dried oregano in the recipe (ratio of 3 to 1).
Note D: Red Wine Vinegar - This is a mild kind of vinegar that you can find in most big grocery stores. You can substitute it with white wine or sherry vinegar. Do not use harsh vinegars like distilled white or malt vinegar, as they will overpower the other flavors.
Note E: Shrimp - Both fresh and frozen shrimp (or prawns) are good options. Any size of shrimp or prawns can be used, but large and jumbo shrimp are the most suitable. I use jumbo shrimp from Costco (peeled, tail-on, around 21-25 shrimp per pound).