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06 March 2010

Shana's parsley pesto-like thing

By Shana Hillman
Photo courtesy of Shana Hillman Photo courtesy of Shana Hillman
There are all sorts of variations of this - it seems almost everyone and every nation has a version. The Italians have Gremolata, a chopped-herb condiment made of garlic, parsley, and lemon zest.  Gremolata is the traditional accompaniment to Ossobuco - added at the very last minute before serving. Remember in my original parsley post how I said slowly-braised meals sometimes need a brightness? The lemon zest ramps this up even further. 

The French have Persillade, a seasoning mixture of parsley chopped together with seasonings; including garlic, herbs, oil, and vinegar. In its simplest form, it's just parsley and garlic - the common ingredient in many dishes and part of a saute cook's mise en place. If added early in cooking, it becomes mellow, but when it's added at the end of cooking, or as a garnish, it provides a garlicky jolt. This is what I stuff under the skin of my chickens and Christmas turkey, and add to my homemade mac and cheese for some extra flavor. Wikipedia tells me it's extensively used in French and Greek cuisines, as well as making appearances in Cajun, Louisiana Creole, and Quebecois cuisines.

Adding more olive oil and perhaps some grated Parmesan to a Persillade produces Pistou - a typical condiment from the Provence region of France that is essentially a parsley pesto that is most often associated with the Provencal dish "Soupe au Pistou" - a minestrone-like summer soup that includes white beans, green beans, tomatoes, summer squash, potatoes, and pasta, that is served with a spoon of Pistou plopped in the centre.

Then, of course, there is the Argentinean Chimichurri used for marinating and serving with their heaps of grilled meats. (Our very own Melanie Redman from FGE knows this all too well, having just lived in Buenos Aires for a year.) Chimichurri is made from finely-chopped parsley, minced garlic, vegetable oil or olive oil, with an addition of white or red vinegar, and red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.

The recipe below isn't pretending to be any of the above. If anything, it's a fusion taking elements from all. Nonetheless, it's delicious on grilled medium-rare steaks, grilled chicken, tossed with boiled potatoes, and plopped on vegetable and tomato soups just before serving. Leftovers can be stored in a jar in the fridge, and unlike basil pesto, it won't turn brown when it oxidizes. In a pinch, I've used this parsley pesto under the skin of my roast chickens and added spoonfuls to store-bought humus and passed it off as homemade!
  • One bunch flat-leaf parsley
  • Zest and juice from one lemon
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • Big pinch of sea salt
  • Pinch of dried chili flakes
  • Olive oil
Put all ingredients, except the olive oil, in the food processor. Chop. Add olive oil in a steady stream until it resembles a pesto. Use and enjoy.





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Written by: Shana Hillman

Shana Hillman

Shana Hillman grew up in a small town in northern Ontario where she gained experience in animal husbandry and strawberry farming. She has called Toronto home for the last 13 years. She loves cooking, preserving and growing Beagle-resistant vegetables in her sunny backyard. Recent highlights have included cheesemaking on the kitchen counter and curing pancetta in the basement, much to the horror of her adoring, yet dubious husband, and to the delight of her two ravenous Beagles (who are now banned from the basement until further notice).

 

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