Parsley pairs well with:
- potatoes
- tomato-based sauces
- poultry dishes
- grain-based salads
- seafood
- egg dishes
Here are a few quick tips:
- Throw a few sprigs of parsley into your favourite green juice.
- Finish off an omelet, quiche, or frittata with a handful of chopped parsley.
- Add chopped parsley to any homemade salad dressing.
Here are some recipes which contain parsley:
Chicken, leek and parsley pie
Ingredients
- 1.4kg chicken
- 1 each carrot , onion and celery stick
- 50g butter
- 2 leeks sliced
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- grated zest 1 lemon
- large bunch parsley chopped
- 3 tbsp crème fraîche
- 250g ready-made puff pastry
- beaten egg or milk, to glaze
- bouquet garni
Method
- STEP 1
Put the chicken in a pan, which is large enough to take it snugly. Roughly chop the carrot, onion and celery and tuck around the chicken with the bouquet garni. Pour in enough water to come just over halfway up the chicken, then season with salt and pepper.
- STEP 2
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover tightly and simmer gently for 1-1¼ hrs, until the chicken is well cooked. Carefully lift the chicken out onto a board lined with kitchen paper to absorb any stock that leaks out. Then strain the stock, discarding the veggies, and measure 500ml into a jug – any extra you can cool and freeze for another time.
- STEP 3
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Strip the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Cut the meat into large chunks and put into a 1-litre pie dish.
- STEP 4
Melt the butter in a pan, add the leeks and fry until starting to soften. Sift in the flour and cook for 1 min. Gradually stir in the stock, cooking until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Take off the heat and add lemon, parsley and crème fraîche. Season. Pour the sauce over the chicken and leave to cool.
- STEP 5
Roll out the pastry and trim to 5cm larger than the pie dish. Brush the edge of the dish with water. Lay the pastry on the pie, tucking the edges under to make a double layer around the rim. Press the pastry edge to seal it. Roll out any trimmings to make leaves for the top. Brush the pastry with milk or egg and bake for 30-35 mins until the pastry is golden.
Crab linguine with chilli & parsley
Ingredients
- 400g linguine
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 whole cooked crab, picked, or about 100g/4oz brown crabmeat and 200g/7oz fresh white crabmeat
- small splash, about 5 tbsp, white wine
- small squeeze of lemon (optional)
- large handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped
Method
- STEP 1
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the linguine. Give it a good stir and boil for 1 min less than the pack says. Stir well occasionally so it doesn’t stick.
- STEP 2
While the pasta cooks, gently heat 3 tbsp of olive oil with the chilli and garlic in a pan large enough to hold all the pasta comfortably. Cook the chilli and garlic very gently until they start to sizzle, then turn up the heat and add the white wine. Simmer everything until the wine and olive oil come together. Then take off the heat and add the brown crabmeat, using a wooden spatula or spoon to mash it into the olive oil to make a thick sauce.
- STEP 3
When the pasta has had its cooking time, taste a strand – it should have a very slight bite. When it’s ready, turn off the heat. Place the sauce on a very low heat and use a pair of kitchen tongs to lift the pasta from the water into the sauce.
- STEP 4
Off the heat, add the white crabmeat and parsley to the pasta with a sprinkling of sea salt. Stir everything together really well, adding a drop of pasta water. Taste for seasoning and, if it needs a slight lift, add a small squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately twirled into pasta bowls and drizzled with the remaining oil.
Product photography is representative only. Weights and portions will be as stated.
