When you get past using parsley as a garnish and sprinkle a handful on top of a dish just before serving, you begin to appreciate the bright, clean flavor of this common herb. And when you realize that it remains in season far longer than basil, rosemary, or other popular herbs, you get a further sense of its value. You can also blend parsley with vinegar to make a sharp, spiky sauce that is an ideal accompaniment to the simplest grilled, broiled, or roasted meat—great on well-browned steaks, pork, or chicken, or on Salmon Burgers (page 107).

　　

Ingredients

makes about 1 cup

　　1 cup packed fresh parsley leaves (about 1 ounce)

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

　　1 small garlic clove, peeled

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1/3 cup rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, or other good-quality, fairly mild vinegar

　　

Step 1

Put the parsley in a food processor along with the oil, garlic, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. With the machine on, drizzle the vinegar through the feed tube until the parsley is pureed.

　　

Step 2

Add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse the machine on and off a couple of times; taste. The mixture should be sharp, but not overpoweringly so. If it seems too strong, add a little more water (the texture will be quite loose, something like thick orange juice). Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Pass the sauce at the table, using a spoon to serve it.

　　

Variations

Step 3

Add toasted walnuts or pine nuts, about 2 tablespoons, after the water. Pulse just until the nuts are chopped.

　　

Step 4

Add the chopped white of a hard-cooked egg or two.

　　

Step 5

Add grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other hard cheese to taste, at least 2 tablespoons.

　　

Step 6

Substitute a shallot for the garlic to weaken the sauce’s bite.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.