The Chef: Michael Shrader (Urban Union)The Challenger: Ben Sheagren (Hopleaf)The Ingredient: Curly parsley
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The relative similarity of the two varieties notwithstanding—”they both taste the same,” Shrader said—curly parsley has been somewhat reviled by chefs and serious cooks for years. That may be a reaction to its former ubiquity as a garnish—though Mark Bittman praises it in How to Cook Everything. Shrader remembers seeing it in seafood restaurants in San Francisco while growing up: “that shit was on every plate.”
Shrader made a lemon gremolata with the parsley, putting it on a whole roasted snapper. The dish is in line with the simple preparations he generally does at Urban Union, he said, which are meant to pair with wine—anything too bold is likely to overpower it. “A lot of chefs will make a dish and then try to pair a wine with it,” he said. “I’ve always found that backwards.” Shrader prefers to pick a wine and tailor the dish to match it.
Video by Michael Gebert/Sky Full of Bacon
Roasted red snapper with parsley-lemon gremolata
1.5-pound whole red snapper, dressed and scaled 1/4 bunch curly parsley, picked (no stems) 1 whole lemon 1/2 clove garlic 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt to taste
