Recipe: Chimichurri sauce, Chris Niven, Grand Café at The Scotsman

A Grand Cafe steak

“The Grand Café is all about relaxed all-day dining, and delivering a modern Scottish take on classic dishes. Steak is a very important part of our menu and my biggest tip would be to source your meat carefully and use the best Scottish suppliers. We have partnered with Campbell Brothers and use their finest Scottish grass-fed, hand-selected, 28-day dry-aged Buccleuch Scotch beef. The Grand Café menu is designed to offer light, modern versions of the classics, so Chimichurri sauce is perfect. A vibrant mix of herbs and garlic with a chilli kick that works brilliantly with steak, it’s light, bright and packed with flavour. I think it’s a great modern alternative to traditional heavier cream and butter-based steak sauces.”

– Chris Niven, Executive head chef, Grand Café at The Scotsman, Edinburgh

Ingredients

  • 10g basil, finely sliced
  • 15g flat parsley, finely chopped
  • 5g fresh garlic, chopped
  • 5g fresh oregano, chopped
  • Maldon sea salt
  • 50ml cold pressed rapeseed oil
  • 20g red chilli peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 15ml red wine vinegar
  • 5ml water

Method

  1. Mix in a bowl well and slightly crush together with the back of a spoon.
  2. Leave for six hours minimum for the flavours to infuse, season to taste and serve with your steak.
  3. I would recommend a Buccleuch fillet of beef – rare to medium rare – with hand-cut chips, roast vine cherry tomatoes and fresh watercress with a drizzle of coldpressed rapeseed oil and a squeeze of lemon.