Parsley sauce is a versatile cooking ingredient with origins in French cuisine. Flat-leaf parsley is preferred for its stronger flavor, and fresh parsley is commonly used as a garnish. It has health benefits and can be used in a variety of dishes, including a less common variant, parsley mayonnaise.
Parsley sauce is a parsley-based cooking ingredient with herbs. Parsley-based sauces are usually white cream sauces similar to bechamel, but can also be red wine-based or tomato-based sauces. A versatile classic sauce, parsley sauce can be used for a variety of applications in the kitchen, but is often used to add flavor to seafood, pasta and vegetables. Parsley sauce has its origins in French cuisine, but a thinner, more buttery version of parsley sauce called parsley liqueur commonly accompanies mashed potatoes or quiches served in Britain. In Argentina, a red wine-based sauce with parsley is served with beef dishes.
Using the right kind of parsley in this sauce is important in achieving a rich parsley flavor. While any type of parsley can be used to make parsley dip, most chefs prefer to use flat leaf parsley. Flat-leaf parsley is known to have a stronger flavor than the curled-leaf variety, so it’s a popular choice when using parsley flavor in a sauce. As an added benefit, flatleaf parsley is generally harder and easier to grow in a garden than curlyleaf parsley. If curled leaf parsley is all that is available, you may need to add extra parsley to get the full parsley flavor intended in the original recipe.
Usually, fresh parsley is included as a garnish for parsley dip dishes, typically chopped fresh or as a sprig on the side. Parsley springs are often eaten after a course or meal to cleanse food flavors from the palate. They also have a reputation for eliminating bad breath, especially when it’s caused by garlic.
Besides being a tasty ingredient in parsley sauce, parsley boasts a number of health benefits. Fresh parsley is a rich source of vitamins A and C. It’s also high in folic acid, which can promote good heart health. A typical parsley sauce, while creamy, is only about 90 calories per serving.
A less common variant of a creamy parsley-based sauce is parsley mayonnaise. Similar to a herb mayonnaise, this sauce uses dried parsley to flavor a homemade mayonnaise sauce. Parsley mayonnaise sauce is used on dishes similar to parsley cream sauce, including potato, seafood, and beef dishes. Herb mayonnaise is generally thicker than cream sauce and is often served cold as a condiment rather than on a plate as a side sauce.
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