Preparation

1. Place olive oil in a small bowl. Fill a small saucepan or skillet with water and bring to a boil. Have an empty bowl, a small bowl of ice water and a strainer set aside, along with a few clean, dry paper towels. Drop the parsley leaves into the boiling water and stir for about 10-20 seconds. Strain parsley then put into bowl of ice water. Strain parsley and save the ice water. Add the chopped shallot to the ice water. Squeeze excess water from the parsley in the paper towels then chop the parsley and stir into the olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
2. Drain the shallots and blot with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Stir shallots into parsley oil. Add lemon zest. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature and stir before using. Add fresh lemon juice or vinegar just before serving for a touch of brightness.
3. Tastes great with tomatoes, roasted potatoes grilled zucchini or eggplant. Delicious with soups, pasta, rice, beans, chicken, beef or seafood.