Parsley

This is an important herb in French cookery. Both the curly form (frisé) and the far more aromatic flat-leaf (commun or d’Italie) variety are used in many dishes. A sprig of parsley is part of the classic bouquet garni and the herb also appears in fines herbes. Indeed, no other herb appears alongside another as often as parsley. Its delightful flavor is as concentrated in the stalks as in the leaves. A cream sauce flavored solely with parsley has a freshness no other herb can match. As with most herbs it is particularly important to chop parsley at the last moment so that the full flavor of the aromatic oils is captured in the dish. Whole leaves of flat parsley make an appealing garnish, rather more so than the over-used chopped parsley. Finely chopped parsley is, however, essential for making a persillade which is a mixture of parsley, finely chopped shallot, and grated zest of lemon. A persillade is added to a dish, especially a dish of fish or veal, in the final stages of cooking.