French Parsley Sauce or Persillade, a simple but wonderfully flavoured sauce made with fresh parsley and garlic, finished with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. It's the perfect way to add a burst of freshness and flavour to many dishes, from fish and seafood, to grilled meats, roast potatoes and so much more.
Persillade comes from the French word persil, which means parsley. It can be used as seasoning, garnish or finishing mixture, as well as sauce or condiments. It's incredibly versatile and it can be used in so many dishes, adding tons of flavour and a bright, bold colour.
You can also serve it spooned over crispy toast or a slice of baguette and topped with canned sardines, tuna, smoked salmon, prawns or any other cooked seafood of your choice.
The parsley sauce can also be added to sandwiches and wraps or pasta, for a quick and easy sauce that is vibrant and so tasty. Honestly, it can have so many uses, you will be surprised how much you'll love it!
If I had to compare it to other similar sauces, I would say it's close to the South-American chimichurri, or the Italian gremolata. It can also be used in dishes that you'd usually add pesto to (or my wild garlic pesto sauce).
It really has become a favourite with us, and it can add colour and flavour to so many of your favourite dishes all year round, as fresh parsley is now widely available in any shop at any point in the year.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- parsley - fresh parsley is a must, dried parsley simply doesn't have the right amount of flavour and colour to make this sauce as flavourful as it should be. I would also choose flat-leaf parsley rather than curly parsley, as the latter is a lot more mild and more textured
- olive oil - go for the best-quality olive oil you can, extra virgin olive oil works the best and gives the best flavour
- garlic - fresh garlic, without a shadow of a doubt, granulated garlic is simply not pungent enough and it doesn't have the right texture to make a good sauce
- lemon - I used both the zest and juice for a fresher touch, the lemon juice adds acidity, while the zest adds a greater lemon touch
- salt & pepper - to taste
- green onion - it's not a traditionally-added ingredient, so it's optional, but I love how it adds more texture and a mild onion flavour, without being overpowering and still letting the garlic shine through
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- finely chop the garlic and spring onion and add them to the olive oil
- mix well and allow the oil to soak up the flavours of the garlic and onion
- finely chop the parsley, and add it to the oil together with the lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper
- mix well
Expert tips
Chop the ingredients finely, rather than blend into a smooth puree, the sauce is supposed to have texture, and a rustic touch. I also find that the flavour comes though a lot better when you can taste each ingredient.
Let it rest briefly before serving, this will allow all the ingredients to mingle, resulting in a much more flavourful and vibrant sauce. Use it as a finishing sauce to preserve its colour and freshness.
What to add the parsley sauce to
I have loads of recipes on my blog that would totally benefit from this delicious fresh parsley sauce. From fish and seafood, I would definitely go for Blackened Salmon Tacos, Baked Sardines, Baked Sea Bass or Tuna Steaks.
The sauce would also go well with Steak Bites, Kofta Kebabs or Beef and Potato Meatballs. It can also be spooned over crispy roast potatoes, baby potatoes or smashed potatoes.
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French Parsley Sauce (Persillade)
Ingredients
- 30 g fresh flat-leaf parsley (1 oz)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 65 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)
- zest from one lemon
- lemon juice from half a lemon
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- â…› teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 spring onion (optional)
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Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and add it to the oil together with the finely chopped spring onion and mix well.
- Finely chop the parsley, and add it to the rest of the ingredients together with the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Mix well and allow the sauce to rest for 10 minutes so all the ingredients can mingle and intensify their flavours.
Video
Notes
- Chop the ingredients finely, rather than blend into a smooth puree, the sauce is supposed to have texture, and a rustic touch. I also find that the flavour comes though a lot better when you can taste each ingredient.
- Let it rest briefly before serving, this will allow all the ingredients to mingle, resulting in a much more flavourful and vibrant sauce. Use it as a finishing sauce to preserve its colour and freshness.
Nutrition
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