Elevate every summer meal with this shisho chimichurri recipe

A first-generation Cuban-American, chef Tatiana Rosana grew up in Miami in a traditional Cuban family where food always took center stage. Today, chef Rosana heads Outlook Kitchen, Lookout Rooftop and Bar, as well as The Envoy Hotel’s in-room dining as the executive chef. Since joining the team at The Envoy Hotel, she has competed on The Food Network’s "Beat Bobby Flay," "Chopped," and "Chopped Champions," winning twice and earning the title of two-time Chopped Champion.

I love my mortar and pestle, a simple yet powerful kitchen tool. Would my pestos, spice blends, and sauces still turn out OK if I used a food processor instead? Sure. But they’ll taste even better if I use a mortar and pestle—there’s a reason this thing has been a key kitchen tool for centuries.

A mortar and pestle crushes and grinds nuts, seeds, spices, and herbs into bright and flavorful pastes. Food processors accomplish this task similarly, but the difference is in the pungency of a freshly ground sauce vs. a relatively muted and muddy processed mixture. Consider the mortar and pestle an investment in perfecting your favorite recipes and going the extra mile to not only respect ingredients, but to extract the most amount of flavor from them as possible.

Cooking this dish? We want to see! Tag @reviewed and @chef.tatiana on Instagram so we can share your masterpiece.

What You Need

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small shallot, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less according to taste)
• 1 cup shiso leaves, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Tools:

• Mortar and pestle (we love the Frieling Cilio Goliath Mortar & Pestle)
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board

Time Needed

15 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

How to make Shiso Chimichurri

Step 1: Grind up alliums

Using a mortar and pestle, grind garlic, shallot, and salt together until a paste begins to form.

Step 2: Add your herbs

Add crushed red pepper, shiso leaves, and parsley and grind until leaves start to break down and combine with the garlic and shallots.

Step 3: Add wet ingredients

Stir in vinegar and olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4: Store it

Refrigerate until ready to use. You can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks, and this sauce is one that just gets better with age.

Step 5: Serve

This bright and unique chimichurri begs to be spooned over the crispy skin of a whole roasted branzino. It also pairs perfectly with the smoked char of grilled flank steak, or can be used as a dipping sauce for shrimp kebabs.

For the perfect roasted branzino, preheat your oven to 450°F. Cut three to four ½-inch deep slits, diagonally, across both sides of the fish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside with lemon slices and whole sprigs of parsley before roasting on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. For extra crispy skin, finish by broiling for 1 to 2 minutes then slather on a liberal amount of your shiso chimichurri.

This recipe is part of our Chef's Course newsletter series. Sign up to be the first to receive tips, tricks, and delicious recipes from top chefs sent straight to your inbox. It’s a whole master course for free.

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.