Parsley Oil Food

PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• Blanch the parsley, stems intact, for 10 seconds. Drain and cool under cold water and dry on paper towels. Place in a blender along with 1 cup of the olive oil and blend completely.
• Pour the paste into a clean glass jar, add the remaining oil, shake well, cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 day. The herbs will settle to the bottom of the jar. Arrange a coffee filter over another glass jar and use a ladle to carefully pour the parsley oil into the filter. The draining will take forever. The oil can then be used in a vinaigrette, in cold soup or to garnish chicken or fish. It will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.

PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath, set aside. Pick 2 tablespoons of parsley leaves; wrap in damp paper towel, and refrigerate. Add remaining parsley leaves to boiling water; cook until bright green, about 20 seconds. Drain, and transfer to ice bath to stop cooking.
• Transfer parsley to a food processor, and process until pureed. Transfer puree into a double thickness of cheesecloth; squeeze out all juice into a small bowl. Discard leaves. Add olive oil to parsley juice; season with salt. Store oil in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

SARDINES WITH PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• Open 1 tin sardines packed in oil and pour off the oil into a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon honey and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the bowl with the oil. Serve with the sardines and crackers.

CLASSIC HUMMUS WITH FRIED CHICKPEAS AND PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• Cover the chickpeas with 4 cups water in a large pot with 1 teaspoon baking soda and refrigerate 8 hours or up to overnight to soak.
• Strain the chickpeas and discard the soaking liquid. Rinse the chickpeas and return them to the pot. Add the remaining teaspoon baking soda and water to cover by about 3 inches over the chickpeas. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook, skimming off and discarding any foam that rises to the surface. Cook the chickpeas until tender but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes. Remove 1 cup of chickpeas from the pot with a slotted spoon. Drain well and reserve on a paper towel-lined plate to dry. Continue cooking the remaining chickpeas until they are mostly intact and soft and creamy (not crumbly) when pressed between a thumb and forefinger, about 10 minutes more. If the liquid boils off too much while cooking, add more water to cover and continue to cook.
• Meanwhile, make the parsley oil. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the parsley leaves and cook 10 seconds, then drain. Immediately run the parsley under very cold water to cool it completely, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Squeeze out the excess liquid and then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
• When the chickpeas are done cooking, strain them and discard the liquid. Let the chickpeas sit in the strainer to drain and dry out for 5 minutes. Put the chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor along with the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and process until the mixture is a paste, scraping down the bowl as necessary. With the motor running, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the ice water and continue to process, adding more water by the tablespoon as necessary, until the mixture is smooth and light, about 5 minutes. The hummus should be slightly loose because it will firm up as it sits.
• Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl and cover by lightly pressing plastic wrap directly onto the surface; set aside until ready to serve. (The hummus can also be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)
• Put the cooked parsley leaves in a blender along with 1/2 cup olive oil and puree until the parsley is fine and the oil green, about 5 minutes. Transfer the parsley oil to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface. Parsley oil can be used right away, or held at room temperature up to 6 hours
• Just before serving, fry the chickpeas. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Pat the reserved chickpeas dry with a clean towel and carefully add them to the skillet. (The oil will bubble up for a few seconds.) Fry, shaking the pan occasionally, until browned and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes. Transfer the chickpeas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately sprinkle with the lemon zest, cayenne, cumin and some salt; toss to coat.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the reserved hummus. Make a shallow circular indentation with the back of a spoon in the center of the hummus. Mound the fried chickpeas in the center of the hummus. Drizzle with the parsley oil, spooning most of it around the edges of the hummus.

LEMON-AND-PARSLEY OIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the parsley and blanch for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain and dry the parsley well. Place in a food processor with 5 tablespoons of the olive oil. Process until a thick puree forms, stopping several times to scrape down sides of bowl. Scrape into a clean glass jar and and pour in 2 cups of the olive oil. Add the lemon zest, shake well and store in a cool place for 1 to 2 days.
• Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil through a coffee filter to dampen the filter. Fit the filter inside the rim of a clean glass jar. Pour some of the oil into the filter and let it drip into the jar. Continue pouring and letting the oil drip until all has passed through the filter; this will take several hours. Stored in the refrigerator, the oil will keep up to a month.

PARSLEY, OLIVE OIL, AND GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine the parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking to combine. The sauce will be bright green and thick with parsley. Season to taste. Can be kept refrigerated for up to 3 or 4 days, bring to room temperature before using.