Showerthought on prepping herbs for service

I used to chop parsley and chives at 7am during my prep shift at Trattoria Bella in Austin. Took me 2 hours to do 4 sheet pans. Then I realized they go limp and brown by 8pm no matter how careful I was. Now I wash and spin them dry in the morning, but I don't cut until 5pm right before dinner rush. Takes me 30 minutes now and they stay bright green and crisp until we close. Anyone else adjust their timing like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethhayes19d ago

Ugh, I feel this so hard. I used to do the exact same thing with basil at the Italian place I worked at in Phoenix. I'd spend forever cleaning and picking leaves in the morning, then by the time dinner hit they were all black and sad looking. Now I leave the whole stems in water until about 4pm and just pull and chop what I need for the next hour or two. It's one of those little tricks that makes such a difference for the finished dish.

the_piper19d ago

Wait, you were chopping herbs at 7am for a dinner shift?! That's insane, I can't believe nobody told you to stop doing that sooner.