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Common Purslane Chimichurri
Common Purslane Chimichurri is a modern British recipe (based on an Argentinian original) for a classic raw wild food sauce made from a blend of common purslane and parsley with garlic, chilli, oil and red wine vinegar. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Common Purslane Chimichurri.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
20 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
Makes:
1 x 360ml jar
Rating: 
Tags : Wild FoodSauce RecipesVegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesBritish Recipes
Common purslane (
Portulaca oleracea), also known as little hogweed, or Mexican parsley is a tropical perennial that grows as an annual in temperate regions with a distribution that ranges from North Africa and Southern Europe through the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to Malesia and Australasia. It has been cultivated and spread by humans since pre-historic times and is now found throughout Europe and seems to have been spread to the American in pre-Colombian times. The subspecies
P. oleracea subsp.
sativa is often grown as a potherb. All parts of the plant are edible and it has a slightly sour (due to oxalic and malic acids) and salty taste with a mild pepperiness. The seeds can be ground and used as a flour or flour adulterant. It is mucilaginous when chopped and/or cooked and is often used in soups for this reason. Here I am using it raw to make chimichurri; an uncooked sauce used both as an ingredient in cooking and as a table condiment for grilled meat. Found in Argentinian and Uruguayan cuisines, the sauce comes in a green and red version. Chimichurri, Italian Salsa Verde and Pesto are three of the classic ways of preparing herbs and greens that can be eaten raw and common purslane can be used to prepare all of them.
Ingredients:
25g (1 cup) common purslane leaves
25g (1 cup) flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno chilli (de-seeded if desired), chopped
60ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Though all parts of the purslane plant are edible, for this I find it best to wash the plants then pick the leaves from the stem. Spin the leaves to dry then use in the recipe.
Like most raw green sauces, making this is as simple as combining all ingredients in a food processor or blender and processing until smooth.
This can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. This sauce is also suitable for freezing. Simply divide into single portion containers or freezer bags and freeze. It will keep for up to 3 months.
