From:
The Thorough Good Cook
Fish: 3. To Fry Parsley, Herbs, Bread-crumbs, etc.
Fill the frying-pan with very hot dripping or
lard. Have young
parsley nicely picked, washed, drained, and then rubbed lightly between the folds of a
cloth to dry. It must be fried quickly, to get
crisp. The moment it is done, lift it with a slice, and place it before the fire on a
sieve-reversed, to drain and become more crisp ; or it may be crisped in a
Dutch oven before the fire. This is used for garnishing not only
fish, but also
lamb chops, liver, and anything to which the flavour of parsley is suitable. Many things are served on fried parsley.
Bread-crumbs are fried and drained in the same manner, taking care that the fat is perfectly
clear, and the bread not burned. Snippets may be cut in the form of
stars, the
Maltese-cross,
triangles,
diamonds, etc. etc., and nicely fried and drained before the fire to serve for
garnishing. Fried bread is a most useful article for garnishing, as it never fails to be eaten with the dish it is employed to
ornament.