Fresh Parsley

[shelora]

Having been inspired by this post, I have been using parsley for the last two weeks to come up with something that truly allows it to sing front and centre.

The thing is, you have to be careful when using other ingredients, because they can truly take over the spotlight.

I found a recipe for a parsley pesto in Bittman's book How to Cook (almost) Everything and by cutting the garlic by half, I found you get a true cloraphil bomb.

I did the tabouli thing, the gremolota - which I love - the persillade and using it as a salad herb, but the pesto really gives you a blast of parsley.

Other than than, parsley can so easily drift into the background.

What about parsley juice or parsley oil? I bet that Charlie Trotter uses parsley oil. I'm going to check his vegetable cookbook.

Back to the laboratory. Will check in later,

Shelora

[Pan]

I just thought of an interesting idea: Parsley granita or sorbet. Have people tried those?

[shelora]

Sure enough, parsley oil recipe in Trotter's Vegetable cookbook.

I made a take on the tabouli salad minus the bulger wheat. No mint either. Just 2 1/2 cups of chopped flat leaf parsley with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and a few first of the season baby cukes and tomatoes. On top of a lettuce leaf, a chance to really hone in on that parsley flavour. Tasty with grass overtones, the cukes and tomatoes really helped.

Parsley is also a diuretic - great for those dieters!

And what about a parsley sorbet? I suppose you would have to make a juice out of the parsley first.

[kanljung]

There is a parsley and fennel seed sauce in the Moro Cookbook. Garlic, parsley and fennel seeds are pounded in a mortar, then EVOO and lemon juice are added.

It's really good with grilled fish.

[Dee]

Oh, I know, I know!

Has anyone heard of Ghormeh Sabzi? It's a Persian dish using parsley as THE main ingredient... like a parsley stew sort of. It's very different but so good.

It uses something like 6 large bundles of parsley plus 2 more bunches of cilantro, cooked down with onions, dried lemons and then to that is added chunks of beef and red kidney beans plus a few other spices. It's really wonderful! An Iranian friend taught it to me who had learned it from her mother and so on...

[shelora]

Oh yes! Yes! Yes!

I simply must have the recipe!!!! Ghormeh Sabzi. This will put the parsley experiment over the toP!!!!!!!!!

6 bunches!!!!!! I'm mad I tell you. Simply mad!!!!! HAA HAHA HAA HAA HAA!!!!!! Please, please teach me the recipe.

And I think I can get the Moro Cookbook from the library. Will go tomorrow.

Thanks

[Dee]

Here's the recipe as taught to me...

Ghormeh Sabzi

First of all, brown 1-2 lbs. beef sirloin (or stewing beef), add one large chopped onion and a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, then cover with water and simmer for a couple of hours until tender.

Meanwhile, wash, drain and chop finely 6 large bunches of parsely and 2 large bunches of cilantro. Put all this in a large pot. You will have heaps of parsley which may or may not fit in your pot.. but that's okay because it will cook down. Add to this 2 chopped green onions and fenugreek leaves (about a 1/2 cup or so). Note this is NOT the same as fenugreek seeds. Heat this all on medium heat until it is reduced.

When the beef is finished, add the contents of that pot to the parsley mixture. Now add 4-5 dried lemons (available in persian specialty stores or stores which sell middle eastern foods). These are the hardest ingredient to find but they make a big difference in the overall flavour of the dish. You just puncture them, break them apart into pieces and try to get all the seeds out. Then throw them in the pot. Then add about a tablespoon or so of turmeric, salt and pepper to taste, and about half a can or more of red kidney beans. You can adjust this to suit your taste. Then just let this simmer for about an hour and add more salt if it needs it.

Then, just serve over basmati rice. It sounds complicated but well worth the effort and a GREAT use of parsley. It makes enough to serve about 8 or more, possibly with leftovers.

Good luck!

Oh yeah, if you have trouble finding fenugreek leaves, they are probably easiest to find in a Persian specialty type store too.

[shelora]

Thanks Dee. At long last.

Two questions, are you using the stems of the parsley and cilantro? When buying fenugreek leaves, they are fresh or dried?

Okay three questions. How do you know how to buy dried lemons? How dry is too dry? Or is there such a thing?

Other than that I'm good to go.

Shelora

[Dee]

Thanks Dee. At long last.

Two questions, are you using the stems of the parsley and cilantro? When buying fenugreek leaves, they are fresh or dried?

Okay three questions. How do you know how to buy dried lemons? How dry is too dry? Or is there such a thing?

Other than that I'm good to go.

Shelora

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I try to keep the bunches together and chop chop chop unil I get to where it's mostly stems in my hand and throw that out. Take out as much stem as you can if possible, but I leave a fair bit in ( because I'm lazy ). Same for the cilantro except that I've been told that cilantro stems are tender and flavourful and so okay to leave in.

Fenugreek leaves I've only seen as dried. I think if you can find fresh ones, great!

The dried lemons as I've mentioned are the tricky part. They have to be a certain type which I've only found in Persian specialty stores. If you have a store near you where they sell such products, ask and they should know what you're talking about. They are dried whole and are about 1 1/2 "-2" in diameter and are kind of a woody brown colour. And they are rock hard dry. And when the broken up pieces simmer in the pot they soften up so you can eat them. I've bought dried "lemon peel" and tried that before but it's just not the same. I REALLY hope you find them!

[TongoRad]

Dee-

That sounds like it is right up my alley, I will definitely try to make some soon. Thanks a whole lot.

[shelora]

Dee,

Thanks for the clarification. We have a major middle eastern grocery store going on here. Went to a new Persian restaurant tonight to try their version of the dish.

No real chunks of beef visible and I asked the chef about that. He said that because the dish is stewed so long it kinda of dissolves in the dish. What do you think about that?

I understand from your recipe that it is a long slow simmer and then the other ingredients are added and cooked another hour, okay, but there were shreds or anything resembling beef in the dish. Was I duped? Or is this what happens?

I will have no problem getting the dried lemons, but the fenugreek, maybe.

Will let you know.

Thanks,

shelora

Edited April 23, 2005 by shelora (log)

[Dee]

Hmmm, I didn't really have that problem, except maybe upon reheating the leftovers a few times. Or I guess if you just kept stirring it so much that the beef got all torn to shreds. If you just gently stir it together, it should be fine... just like any other stew with beef in it. I've never tried any restaurant's version of the dish... I'd be interested to taste the difference!

Oh, and I don't know that fenugreek leaves will make or break the dish... but I'm thinking they should have them, at least the dried ones, at the Middle Eastern store.

I'm looking forward to hearing how it turns out for you, and you too, TongoRad! If you have any other questions along the way, I'll try to check back often.

[TongoRad]

Dee- I do have a couple of questions about the fenugreek leaves. I read that one can substitute celery leaves for them- do you think that would work in the context of this dish? Also- if I do get some, can I freeze the extras with no ill effect? (I do this all the time with my curry leaves, which allows me to be a lot more spontaneous should the mood strike).

[persiancook]

Dee- I do have a couple of questions about the fenugreek leaves. I read that one can substitute celery leaves for them- do you think that would work in the context of this dish? Also- if I do get some, can I freeze the extras with no ill effect? (I do this all the time with my curry leaves, which allows me to be a lot more spontaneous should the mood strike).

←

I would not use celery leaves. We do have a similar dish made of celery, parsley, and beef or lamb cubes (khoreshteh karafs), but it has an entirely different flavor.

You can chop the fenugreek leaves, lightly fry them for a minute or two, then freeze them with no ill effects. I usually use the dried fenugreek leaves, and add them during the last couple of minutes of browning the meat. You need to be careful, as frying the fenugreek too long will make it bitter.