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An Excess of Parsley


maggiethecat

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A month ago I made a new dish that called for 1 cup of chopped parsley – a packed cup. (No, I can’t remember the recipe or even what it was – trust me, it’s been a packed month!) The flavor knocked me off my wedgies. It was, like what is this fab new herb?

I have parsley in the house 50 weeks out of 52 and usually toss a slimy half-bunch at the end of the week. You know, a few tablespoons here and there, or used as a garnish, as in this snap of the filet roast we had for Christmas dinner.

gallery_6375_3224_450332.jpeg

What a waste of flavor – when I have fresh basil or cilantro in the house it never ends up in the pail on garbage night! Apart from a persillade, which I haven’t done in yonks, do any of you know more recipes that point out the green power of parsley?

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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I love parsley! It's my favorite herb.

One great use of parsley is a variation of spaghetti aglio e olio. Just add a fistful of finely minced parsley at the end (and, if you're me, a hefty pinch of crushed red pepper).

--

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Mmm, when I think of a huge "WHAM" of parsley flavor, I think of tabbouleh salad. I don't have any recipes, though.

I also like obscene amounts ripped up, on top of my pho, along with basil, cilantro and mint.

Ooh ooh, a good chimichurri sauce is another parsely showcase.

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I often make an omelet with shallots and parsley, and eat it with cucumbers tossed with parsley and a little cider vinegar. The cucumbers and parsley give things a sort of middle eastern air, with very little effort.

Doesn't use up a lot of parsley, but it shows it off and is mighty tasty! I made it for my mom when she came to visit, and she's hooked now, too...

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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I love parsley!  It's my favorite herb.

One great use of parsley is a variation of spaghetti aglio e olio.  Just add a fistful of finely minced parsley at the end (and, if you're me, a hefty pinch of crushed red pepper).

Absolutely one of my favorite ways to use up parsley...

"We had dry martinis; great wing-shaped glasses of perfumed fire, tangy as the early morning air." - Elaine Dundy, The Dud Avocado

Queenie Takes Manhattan

eG Foodblogs: 2006 - 2007

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I've made this parsley soup a few times and it is a winner.

A quote from my linked post which also includes the recipe:

A nice spring soup for starting out a meal: parsley soup with mixed mushrooms.

It was published in the NY Times Magazine a few weeks back and is adapted from a recipe in "Jean-Georges" by Vongerichten and Bittman.

...

I think this would be a great start to an Easter dinner with lamb or ham--or any spring dinner with a hearty meat course. Also--it is extremely flavorful but is relatively low in fat (i.e. not cream based). I'm not counting calories for special meals but sometimes other courses are rich and one doesn't want a cream-based soup... This soup is one of the best non-cream based, 'elegant' soups I've made or had.

On the other hand--if one wanted to make this a heartier soup to go with sandwiches, etc., I think the flavor is intense enough to stand up to having thin slices of new potatoes in there as well.

I think this soup would be nice in the autumn or winter as well as a lighter, brighter counterpoint to heartier components of a meal. And parsley is available year round with the same quality.

"Under the dusty almond trees, ... stalls were set up which sold banana liquor, rolls, blood puddings, chopped fried meat, meat pies, sausage, yucca breads, crullers, buns, corn breads, puff pastes, longanizas, tripes, coconut nougats, rum toddies, along with all sorts of trifles, gewgaws, trinkets, and knickknacks, and cockfights and lottery tickets."

-- Gabriel Garcia Marquez, 1962 "Big Mama's Funeral"

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Mexican green rice (arroz verde). To maximize parsliferousness, replace all green leafy ingredients with parsley, and then double the amount of green stuff. Absolutely include roasted and peeled Poblano chiles.

Fish with garlic and lime (pescado al mojo de ajo). Some recipes call for parsley, some call for cilantro, some call for a mix. Your choice.

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A month ago I made a new dish that called for 1 cup of chopped parsley – a packed cup. (No, I can’t remember the recipe or even what it was – trust me, it’s been a packed month!) The flavor knocked me off my wedgies.  It was, like what is this fab new herb?

I have parsley in the house 50 weeks out of 52 and usually toss a slimy half-bunch at the end of the week. You know, a few tablespoons here and there, or used as a garnish, as in this snap of the filet roast we had for Christmas dinner.

gallery_6375_3224_450332.jpeg

What a waste of flavor – when I have fresh basil or cilantro in the house it never ends up in the pail on garbage night! Apart from a persillade, which I haven’t done in yonks, do any of you know more recipes that point out the green power of parsley?

Nothing worse than a big green blob in your fridge! My Foodsaver is a lifesaver, you should pick one up. And now, none has the "There too expensive" excuse because Renolds came out with the Handi Vac which you can pick up for $10! sous vide anyone?

Ok so now on to the recipes, I love your title, so true. I was reading about parley recipes and Grant Achatz has a parsley "oil" recipe with parsley, water, salt, and Ultra-tex 3.

Ultra-tex 3 a modified starch that imparts zero flavor but gives it the same viscosity as oil. Sounds awesome! Pure parsley essence!

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One great use of parsley is a variation of spaghetti aglio e olio.  Just add a fistful of finely minced parsley at the end (and, if you're me, a hefty pinch of crushed red pepper).

I really have to second this one!

A handful thrown in pesto is good too. Parsley garlic butter is great on...just about anything.

Jeff

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Well now you have me thinking of using a bunch of flat leaf parsley along with the bunch of watercress I put in my kabocha squash soup. It is on for tomorrow and I have been wanting to make it "greener". Thanks for the inspiration.

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What excellent suggestions! Thanks for reminding me about taboulleh salad -- I love that stuff, and haven't made it in a year or so. And I'm going to think very hard about how I could make a mousse de persil;that sounds astounding. Was it pale green or dark green, cmling?

Parsley Soup. Fabulous idea,and I trust J-G and MB's collaborative recipes.

Not to sidetrack the purpose of this thread, which is to collect the longest list of what-to-do-with-parsley ideas I can, but I'm a curly girl. Flat tastes as good, but I find that curly easier to chiffonade and lasts a few days longer.

Parsley in quantity has to be madly good for us, right?

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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Every time I make this simple rice salad I wonder where all that flavor comes from. Possibly the parsley? This was originally used as a base for Pollo Tonnato.

Parsley & Peas Rice Salad

1 1/2 C. raw rice

2 t. salt

2 1/2 C. water

4 T. white vinegar

6 T. oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Lemon juice to taste

1 pkg. frozen tiny peas

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Cook rice and salt with water over low heat for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool to lukewarm.

Blanch peas for 1 minute only in boiling water. Drain and shock with cold water. (Nowadays, I don't even bother with this step, I just let the peas thaw.)

With a fork, mix rice, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add oil, a tablespoon at a time. Add lemon juice until it has a bit of zip. Toss in peas and parsley. Chill.

Added to RecipeGullet here: Parsley & Peas Rice Salad

Edited by ruthcooks (log)

Ruth Dondanville aka "ruthcooks"

“Are you making a statement, or are you making dinner?” Mario Batali

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A green risotto, made with lots of chopped parsley and other herbs that you like/have handy, is easy and beautiful.

As for nutritional value - lots of vitamin C.

Some parsley nutrition "facts" (not sure about this website source accuracy):

Parsley is the world’s most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning “rock celery” (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.

Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium and calcium. What’s more, parsley is also recognized for its cancer-fighting potential.

Cheers,

Anne

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As a side dish to something a bit heavy (e.g. pig trotters trotters, marrow bones, braised lamb shanks...), you can make the simplest of all parsley salads:

- handfull of parsley

- lemon juice,

- olive oil,

- salt and pepper

It is meant as a mouth cleaner.

Edited by Magictofu (log)
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Before I forget... you can also wiz a bunch of parsley in a food processor, squeeze the pulp in a clean towel to extract the juice and use it to color pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.

Simple and useful. I'm going to do green mashed potatoes -- I can anticipate that fresh green flavor.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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It's funny you should bring this topic up right now, Maggie. I've been tending a very healthy pot of flat-leaf (Italian) parsley that I brought into the house for the winter. Why? Well, last fall it was on a whim, based on defiance against the onset of winter as much as any firm ideas of indoor herb gardens.

But then somehow, after the plant came indoors, I realized that parsley is packed with flavor, and flat-leaf parsley seems even more so. How could I have missed it before?

Suddenly, that indoor plant is losing stems and leaves left and right. Want a garnish over that drab winter stew? Parsley. Want something to liven up that pasta carbonara? Parsley. Parsley in salads, parsley on potatoes, parsley on cooked red meat or fish or chicken, parsley in salad dressing: you name it, we've tried it lately.

In the meantime, the kittens love to nestle in the pot, cuddling in the fragrant stems. Later, they awake refreshed from their bright green dreams, ready to revive and/or terrorize the household anew, all aroma and vitality.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

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Now this is the kind of topic I like on egullet. I remembered a recipe I clipped from the NYT ages ago for Roast Chicken Volhynian Style. This is a Polish recipe for stuffed roast chicken, and the stuffing contains 2 cups of loosely packed parsley. It's fabulous. For the full recipe and article (which is well worth reading for the history of this recipe), you can pay the NYT archives here: http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.htm...BF1D3&scp=1&sq=

Or you can cook a stuffed roast chicken as you usually do, and here's how to make the stuffing (my version):

- Combine 1 cup day-old French or Italian bread cubes with 1/4 cup milk.

- In a blender or food processor, combine 2 cups loosely packed parsley leaves and 1 chicken liver until finely chopped.

- In a separate bowl, cream together 4 TB butter with 2 egg yolks.

- Combine the butter mixture with the bread and parsley mixtures. Salt and pepper to taste.

- Whip 2 egg whites until stiff and fold into the stuffing.

Then stuff the bird. I haven't made this recipe in a very long time, and now I'm motivated to cook it again.

Edited by djyee100 (log)
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i'm overwintering 3 large plants in the basement and traipse downstairs at least every other day to cut some for cooking. i'm afraid i'm a flat leaf girl though, maggie. it goes into my risottos, definitely into my soups and of course there is always this recipe from recipegullet for a wonderful(if i say so myself) salad dressing :wink: .

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

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Horseradish creme. The batch I just made calls for 1/2 cup finely minced parsley.

Edited by Marlene (log)

Marlene

Practice. Do it over. Get it right.

Mostly, I want people to be as happy eating my food as I am cooking it.

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