Parsley

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 to 25 cm sharp chef’s knife
• •Large dry cutting board
• •Salad spinner and two clean kitchen towels
• •Fine-mesh strainer for rescuing clumped parsley
• •1.5 litre deep saucepan and frying thermometer, optional
• •Small wire spider or long tongs, optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Select and wash

   Use parsley whose leaves stand upright, smell clean and peppery, and show no yellow or slimy patches. Old parsley turns bitter, and no knife can put its fragrance back. Swish the bunch gently in the cold water, lifting it out so any grit remains at the bottom rather than pouring the grit over the leaves again.

2. 2

   Sort and dry

   Reserve the curly sprays if you are using them, remove their long stalks, and keep them in fresh cold water until required. Strip away the coarse stems from the flat-leaf parsley, leaving the tender upper stems, then spin the parsley thoroughly and roll it in a clean towel. Let it lie open for several minutes if any moisture remains. Damp parsley skids beneath the knife and clumps; parsley destined for hot oil must be completely dry.

   Wash the whole bunch before chopping. Washing tiny cut pieces is a rescue for damaged parsley, not the first choice.
3. 3

   Cut persil haché

   Gather no more than a loose handful and hold it without crushing. Draw a broad, very sharp knife forward through the leaves, turn the pile, and repeat only until the pieces are fine and even. Stop before green moisture marks the board or the parsley begins to adhere to the blade; endless rocking turns cutting into pounding. If the particles clump, don’t discard them. Ça se rattrape: swish the choppings in fresh cold water, gather them in a clean towel, press and wring out every drop, then loosen them with your fingertips.

   Move chopped parsley with a bench scraper or the back of the knife. Dragging the sharp edge across the board dulls the blade that keeps the herb dry.
4. 4

   Prepare persil concassé

   For persil concassé, give dry leaves only one or two clean passes with the knife, leaving distinct rough pieces rather than a mince. Fold the concassé into a hot sauce, sauté, or vegetable dish during its final 30 to 60 seconds, just long enough to soften slightly. Don’t simmer it; prolonged heat flattens the aroma and brings out bitterness.

5. 5

   Hold the sprays

   Keep fresh curly sprays in cold water until the dish is nearly ready, then lift them out and blot them carefully. Use them whole for a simple garnish, with no long stalk protruding across the plate. If they are going into hot oil, press them between two dry towels and check every fold of every leaf for trapped water.

6. 6

   Fry the sprays

   Pour the oil into a small deep saucepan, filling it no more than one-third full, and heat it to 375°F (190°C). Lower one completely dry spray into the oil with a spider or long tongs; it should crisp within 5 to 10 seconds while remaining green. Fry the rest in tiny batches, drain immediately, salt lightly, and place them in a clean towel to surrender excess oil. If the first spray spits violently, take the pan off the heat and dry the remaining parsley again before continuing. If a spray browns, it has stayed too long and will taste bitter; discard it and shorten the next immersion.

7. 7

   Finish at once

   Scatter fine persil haché over the finished dish at the last possible moment, when its colour and fragrance remain entirely fresh. Add persil concassé just before a hot preparation leaves the stove, and set fried sprays on fried fish or meat only as they go to the table so they remain crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Flat-leaf parsley is easiest to cut finely and has the fuller flavour. Curly parsley earns its place when you need a whole spray, particularly for frying, because the compact leaves hold their shape.
• •Freshness is not negotiable here. Buy a bunch with taut green leaves and a clean herbal scent; yellowing parsley, or parsley left too long in warmth, turns bitter and is better discarded.
• •A sharp knife matters more than speed. Work in small batches and stop as soon as the cut is even. The cook who races back and forth across the pile usually pounds out the very juice the leaves should keep.
• •Fried parsley waits for no one. Fry it only when the rest of the dish is ready, drain it well, and serve it immediately beside fried fish, cutlets, or other fried viands.

Advance Preparation

• •Wash and dry the whole flat-leaf bunch up to one day ahead. Wrap it loosely in a dry towel, refrigerate it in a covered container, and chop only when the dish is nearly ready.
• •Curly sprays may stand in fresh cold water for several hours. Drain and blot them before using fresh, and dry them with particular care before frying.
• •Persil haché does not improve overnight. For meal preparation, ready the washed, stemmed, thoroughly dried leaves in advance and leave the knife work until serving time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 12g)