Don’t let your parsley turn into black goo!

Parsley used to play the role as a limp garnish tossed carelessly on a plate.

Then parsley’s PR group tried to get people to eat parsley by touting it as a breath freshener.

Now parsley is elbowing its way to the forefront. Well, at least in this country. We love tabbouleh, parsley salad, pesto, parsley rice…

BUT here’s my issue, the bunches of parsley they sell in the store is about about 5 times as much as I need. (And no, I don’t grow my own because I have a black thumb.) More oftentimes than not, I am left with a bag of black goo that I discover several weeks later in the crisper. You know what I’m talking about.

So the other day, I discover TWO full bags of parsley in the refrigerator. (How did I forget about the first bag?) I didn’t just make one, but TWO parsley dishes! First, I made chimichurri and after eating a few spoonfuls, I couldn’t believe I had never made this luscious sauce before. I found a very simple recipe on saveur.com which also used up my cilantro surplus. I’ve been scooping spoonfuls of chimichurri on toast, pasta, eggs, um, everything.

And here’s a recipe that I came up with the other night. My mom mentioned that she tried a new banchan at a restaurant in New York and was so surprised to find out that it was parsley. The preparation is very much like sigumchi or Korean seasoned spinach, but the parsley is a lot more fragrant and bitter than spinach. Steamed white rice pairs perfectly with it.

Korean Seasoned Parsley

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Toasted sesame seeds

1 – Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil.

2 – In the meantime, trim the stems off the parsley. Wash and rinse the parsley. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, and green onion. Add salt if necessary.

3 – Once the water comes to a boil, blanch the parsley for 1-2 minutes.

4 – Drain the parsley in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water.

5 – Once cooled, take a handful of parsley and squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside in a new bowl. Repeat “the squeeze” with the remaining parsley.

6 – Add the seasoning to the parsley. Depending on your taste, you may not add the entire mixture. Mix and toss, mix and toss. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds before serving.