Although parsley is now added to plates as a decoration, it was originally eaten during or after meals to aid digestion. Parsley makes a colorful addition to sauces or salads, and it's a rich source of vitamins.
Instructions
1. Wash parsley thoroughly before using. Let them soak in a dish of water and then stir them to dislodge dirt. Another method is to put the herbs in a colander under a high-pressure spray.
2. Choose curly or flat leaf parsley. The flat leaf has more flavor. It's sometimes called "Italian" leaf.
3. Chop parsley for use in dishes. Use only the stems to add flavor to a sauce if you don't want the green bits of parsley to show.
4. Adding parsley to a dish when it's nearly cooked ensures that the flavor of the herb will remain. Add it too early, and the flavor may evaporate or get lost amidst other flavors.
5. Some meat dishes, like rack of lamb, call for parsley in "persillade," which is basically chopped parsley with garlic (in a 50-50 mixture) and bread crumbs. Use this to coat the meat toward the end of the cooking process.
Tags: flat leaf
