Parsley — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Parsley is a herbs available in New Zealand during January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, peaking in September, October, November. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy parsley, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Most used herb in NZ cooking. Stems have more flavour than leaves. Flat and curly are different varieties, not freshness levels.
How to pick a good one
Flat-leaf has more flavour. Curly better as garnish. Both bright green and crisp.
How to store it
Stems in water in fridge, or damp paper towel in sealed container. About a week.
Goes well with
garlic: Parsley and garlic is gremolata, persillade, and chimichurri. The combination of parsley's clean, slightly bitter freshness and garlic's pungent savouriness creates a condiment that makes almost any protein taste better.
lemon: Acid brightens parsley's flavour and makes its green compounds more volatile. The combination is used as a finish across Mediterranean cooking because it tastes like freshness added at the last moment.
butter: Fat carries parsley's aromatic compounds and makes them more persistent. Parsley butter on steak or fish is a simple technique that produces a restaurant-quality result.
egg: Parsley with eggs appears in French, Italian, and Middle Eastern cooking. The herb's clean, bright flavour contrasts with egg's richness and makes simple egg dishes taste more finished.
Recipes
Chimichurri
Argentinian. On steak, chicken, veg.
Ingredients: big bunch parsley, 4 cloves garlic, 1 small chilli, 100ml olive oil, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp oregano, salt
Method: Finely chop parsley, garlic, chilli. Mix with oil, vinegar, oregano, salt. Rest 15 min before serving.
Tabbouleh
More herb than grain.
Ingredients: huge bunch parsley, 2 tomatoes, half cucumber, 3 tbsp bulgur wheat, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, salt
Method: Soak bulgur in boiling water 15 min. Drain. Finely chop parsley (a LOT of it), dice tomatoes and cucumber. Mix everything.
Gremolata
Italian herb condiment. Lifts anything.
Ingredients: big bunch parsley, 2 cloves garlic, 1 lemon (zest), pinch salt
Method: Finely chop parsley and garlic. Mix with lemon zest and salt. Sprinkle over osso buco, risotto, roasted veg, grilled fish.
Nutrition
One cup provides 550% of your daily vitamin K, 130% of your daily vitamin C, and 100% of your daily vitamin A. Gram for gram, parsley is one of the most nutrient-dense herbs. Contains apigenin (same as celery), being studied for anti-cancer properties. Most people use it as a garnish and throw it away. Eat it.