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Parsley Juice for Coloring
Put some leaves of parsley into a mortar to pound. Squeeze the juice off into a jar, stand the jar in a saucepan, surround it with boiling water, but do not let the water boil over the edges (a bain-marie is best), and keep it by the side of the fire till the juice is warm. It is then ready for use.
A working preparation rather than a dish: a natural green tint for sauces, butters and aspics, from the days before bottled food coloring. The whole thing hinges on gentle heat.
- Never let it boilThe juice is only warmed, not cooked. Prolonged boiling dulls the green toward olive-brown. The original asks only that the jar be surrounded with boiling water and held 'by the side of the fire' until the juice is warm; no temperature is given.
- Bain-marie, improvisedA heatproof jar or small bowl standing in a saucepan of hot water does the job; the original warns only that the water must not boil over the edges. Set a folded cloth or a canning ring under the jar so it is not in direct contact with the pan bottom.
- Mortar and pestle, or notA blender or food processor with a splash of water will break down the leaves far faster; press the pulp through a fine sieve, then through muslin or a coffee filter.
- YieldThe original gives none. Expect only a small quantity of juice from a large bunch of parsley.