Parsley sauce is popular in many parts of the world, usually served with meat. Among its many variations are sauces made with a béchamel base. The version I’m sharing here also happens to be an essential part of Denmark’s national dish.
Parsley Sauce with a Béchamel Base
Making this parsley sauce is very simple. Essentially, we make a slightly thinner béchamel sauce, then add finely chopped parsley at the end.
As for the sauce itself, of course make it as thick as you like, or as thick as best suits whatever you’re serving it with. Danes cook it to a consistency that stays slightly runny even when lukewarm, so it’s easy to pour over the food. They don’t pour it over the pork—that would take away its crispness—but over the boiled potatoes. Aim for a consistency that still pours easily over the potatoes.
Since this is parsley sauce, make sure there’s plenty of parsley in it. Naturally, use only fresh parsley, since that’s what gives this sauce its characteristic fresh flavor. If possible, chop the parsley just before serving and stir it into the prepared sauce then. This preserves its flavor best.
For four servings, I used a large potted parsley plant—see the photo.
If you make the béchamel base ahead of time, stir it every few minutes to keep a skin from forming. If you’re preparing it well ahead, cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface. This also helps prevent the sauce from developing a skin and an unpleasant texture. If you’re making it much earlier, it’s a good idea to refrigerate it too.
Serving Suggestions
As I mentioned, the best-known pairing for Danish parsley sauce is roast skin-on pork belly and boiled potatoes. There’s a good reason: this is stegt flæsk med persillesovs, which was voted Denmark’s national dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and place the crispy pork alongside them so it doesn’t soften. From a Hungarian perspective, this combination isn’t all that unfamiliar either. So give it a try—I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
But you don’t have to stop at pork belly. In Denmark, parsley sauce is also served with meat patties (frikadeller), fish cakes (fiskefrikadeller), and fish, usually with boiled potatoes. I’d also happily serve it with roast meats and simple vegetable dishes: it’s all that fresh parsley that makes the creamy sauce so interesting.
Danish Parsley Sauce
Ingredients
- 35 g butter 2½ tablespoons
- 30 g all-purpose flour ¼ cup
- 500 ml milk 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 bunch fresh parsley large bunch
- Salt
- White pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the fresh parsley.
- Heat the milk until hot in a separate container, either in the microwave or on the stove.
- For the béchamel base, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook over medium-high heat for about 30–60 seconds to cook off the flour’s raw taste. Keep the flour pale.
- Pour the hot milk into the butter-and-flour mixture all at once and stir very quickly. Season with salt and white pepper.If you’ve done it right, this method gives you a lump-free béchamel. But you can always blend it with an immersion blender for a completely smooth consistency.
- Bring to a boil while stirring, then cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. If it’s too thick, thin it with a little milk.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the finely chopped fresh parsley.
