Parsley: Pretty but capable of more

Exotic and unusual herbs may be in vogue these days with chefs and food writers, but good cooks of all kinds, well-known or not, professional or otherwise, know the value of familiar, plain old parsley.

Parsley is common, the opposite of trendy. But it's also among the most useful, refreshing, and lovely of herbs.

Albert Stockli, formerly of New York's Four Seasons Restaurant once called parsley "the jewel of herbs, both in the pot and on the plate."

 We're used to seeing parsley sprinkled - into salads, on top of a grilled chop or fish filet or over cooked rice. And everyone knows that parsley comes in handy as a quick garnish - put a sprig here and there on a plate and whatever you're serving looks better immediately and with little effort.

But while parsley usually plays well as a decorative item or in a supporting culinary role, it can also star on its own.

Parsley sprigs become delicately crisp when deep-fried and sprinkled with sea salt. Try that as a side dish or for hors d'oeuvres next time you have company. (See recipe.)

Parsley also makes a good base for condiments and marinades. Argentine chimichurri, for example, a sauce that has become so popular you can buy it in jars rather than make it from scratch. But don't, because packaged parsley, jarred, canned, dried or otherwise, doesn't capture the springlike, grassy flavor of the fresh kind.

Try your hand at homemade pebre sauce, a Chilean specialty similar to chimichurri, but typically containing more cilantro. Pebre is a good marinade for grilled meats and kabobs, especially beef, but is also suitable as a dipping sauce for hanger steak, flank steak, and grilled vegetables.

If you're in a hurry and have no time to make pebre, mix some chopped fresh parsley with mashed garlic and lemon peel to use as a rub for beef, chicken, or pork.

Or make a quick dipping sauce for grilled chicken or even cold leftover meats and vegetables by mixing chopped fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt. If there's time to add grated cheese and pignoli nuts to that mixture, you've made parsley pesto, which is perfect for pasta or as a dip for crudites.

It's easy to see what a difference parsley can make if you put some into simple everyday dishes: omelets, frittatas, potato salad, steamed rice, sliced tomatoes, corn bread, or vinaigrette dressing.

Or make tabbouleh. Parsley is no bit player in this bulgur wheat salad - it defines the dish so critically that you would notice its absence if you left the herb out. (See recipe.)

There are two kinds of parsley available from supermarkets and greengrocers.

Curly parsley, the more familiar, has tightly twisted dark-green leaves; it's the variety we use most often to pretty up a plate. It has a fresh, crisp taste that you can appreciate best if you add it to soups, sauce or salad at the end of cooking, and yet it also manages to measure up with other herbs when you include it in the bouquet garni for long-simmering stews and stock.

Italian parsley has flat, medium-green leaves; it's more fragile and doesn't keep as long as the curly variety. Italian parsley also has a more assertive flavor.

Be sure to wash parsley carefully, because it's likely that tiny bits of earth still cling to the leaves. But dry the leaves carefully before refrigerator storage to keep them from deteriorating. To keep parsley freshest, pack it like a bunch of flowers into a water-filled jar. Or wash the leaves and dry them, then wrap them in paper towels and keep the package in the crisper drawer of your fridge.

Excess parsley can also be frozen, which is especially helpful if you're growing your own. Freezing does destroy some of the beneficial essential oils, but it does not impair the flavor.

The optimum time to harvest is late summer. Pick the leaves in the morning, as soon as the dew has evaporated. Then pick the leaves from the stems, Wash, dry well, then place the leaves in a freezer bag and freeze.

When you are ready to use the parsley, remove the bag from the freezer and crush it immediately before it has a chance to thaw. By crushing the bag when the parsley is still frozen you will break it into small pieces, giving you instant, easy-to-use chopped parsley.

Makes 4 servings

EndTextStartText

1 large bunch curly parsley

Cooking oil, for deep frying

EndTextStartText

1.   Unless it is absolutely essential, refrain from washing the parsley. If it is necessary to wash it, do so some hours beforehand and see that it is perfectly dry before lowering it into the hot fat; otherwise, the fat splashes in a violent way and is dangerous.

2.   Pick the sprig from the main stalks of the parsley. Allow a really large handful of sprigs for 4 people. Set a pan of oil over high heat. Put the parsley sprigs in a frying basket and when the oil shows a faint blue haze, plunge the basket into the hot oil. Expect to hear hissing. The hissing should stop within seconds, and as soon as that happens, life out the parsley, which should be bright green and crisp, not greasy, limp, or brown.

3.   Place the parsley on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

4.   Salt if desired and serve with appetizers.

Per serving: 30 calories, no protein, no carbohydrates, no sugar, 3.4 grams fat, no cholesterol, no sodium, no dietary fiber.

Makes 6-8 servings

EndTextStartText

1/2 cup fine bulgur

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice of 3-4 large lemons

6 cups chopped, fresh

flat-leaf parsley (about 6 large bunches)

1 cup chopped fresh mint (1 large bunch)

1 pound ripe tomatoes, very finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch romaine lettuce, leaves separated

1 bunch scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths, to sprinkle on top when serving.

 EndTextStartText

1.   Place the bulgur in a bowl and cover with boiling water by 1/2 inch. Soak for 20 minutes, until slightly softened. Drain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer and press the bulgur against the strainer to squeeze out excess water. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the garlic, lemon juice, herbs, tomatoes, chopped scallions, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave at room temperature or refrigerate for 2-3 hours so the bulgur can continue to absorb the liquid and swell.

2.   Add the olive oil, toss, taste, and adjust seasonings. The tabbouleh should taste really lemony. Add more juice if needed. Serve with the lettuce leaves and cut scallions.

Note: Tabbouleh will keep for a day in the refrigerator, though the bright green color will fade because of the lemon juice.

- From Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman

(Rodale Books, 2010)

Per serving (based on 8): 196 calories, 4.2 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams sugar, 14 grams fat, no cholesterol, 41 milligrams sodium, 6 grams dietary fiber.EndText