Parsley sauce is an old-school classic. Its delicate flavours go well with lots of European meals, especially chicken and seafood dishes, but it’s still hearty and heart-warming.
It’s basically a white sauce with parsley added to it; you might find that some recipes also suggest adding garlic, or making it without milk to create the famous “parsley liquor” sauce of London’s East End.
Fish in parsley sauce is a personal favourite of the Captain, using fresh cod fillets or even with fish fingers as a grown-up alternative to ketchup! If you are seeking something different to impress guests at a dinner party, look no further than our parsley sauce recipe.
Preparation
Separate the parsley leaves from the stalks, and chop the leaves (hold on to the stalks!).
Put the milk, onion, bay leaf and parsley stalks into a medium-sized saucepan, and heat until it’s just about boiling.
Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to stand for 25 minutes, then strain it through a sieve (or take the bits out with a slotted spoon). Make sure the strained milk is nearby, as you add it in later.
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan, and stir in the flour – this will turn into a paste (known as a roux).
Cook this gently over a low heat for 3-4 minutes – and don’t stop stirring!
Now add some of the strained milk, a bit (a short pour) at a time. Keep stirring as you add it in, and it’ll slowly turn into a thick sauce.
Simmer the sauce gently for 10-15 minutes.
Add the chopped parsley leaves and the lemon juice. Try a little bit (mind the heat), then add salt and pepper to season it.
Tip!
Plate up parsley sauce with grilled fillets of white fish, new potatoes and steamed green vegetables for a simple yet elegant dinner.
