I love parsley (Petroselinum crispum) with its fresh, distinctive, grassy taste. Generally, there are two varieties of parsley available, the curly leaf; and the "Italian" flat leaf version (P. neapolitanum). Many people think flat leaf parsley has a stronger flavour, and this opinion is backed by chemical analysis which finds higher levels of essential oil in the flat-leaved cultivars. Undoubtably, flat-leaf parsley is the more cheffy of the two, and visually, at least, looks better on the plate.
The best solution, perhaps, is to use the curly leaf for the traditional British dishes, such as Cod in a Parsley Sauce, and flat-leaf for risottos, and other European or Mediterranean dishes. Back in the 70's there was a tendency for cooks (chefs even!) to garnish everything with chopped parsley. The parsley was often stale, and tired; and as a result, became a cliché, which the more avant-garde foodies amongst you now avoid like the plague. And that's the same case with the now forgotten aspic- which I might tackle in a later post. However, I love the simplicity and taste of fresh parsley, used sparingly. I've noticed that none other than Rick Stein, uses it quite a bit. He's one of the few "celeb" chefs I admire, and The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Cornwall is well worth a visit if you're ever lucky enough to travel to that lovely part of England.
