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| A bouquet of herbs | |||
Infuse your food with flavour by using a bouquet garni – an aromatic bundle of herbs that you can easily make yourself. |
Choose your herbs
When selecting herbs for a bouquet garni, take your pick from each of the three groups: mild, fusion and robust.
Mild herbs combine well with most other herbs, their flavours often become milder in cooking and they can be used in larger quantities than robust herbs. Several of them can be combined and they're often used raw in salads. Good examples are basil, bay leaves, chervil, dill, marjoram and parsley.
Robust herbs are often used together or alone for roasts, poultry, grilled foods and soups and stews. Their flavours are subtly altered during cooking, sometimes muting, sometimes intensifying. They can be combined with basil, marjoram and other mild herbs. Good examples are garlic, origanum, rosemary, sage, sorrel, tarragon and thyme.
Fusion herbs are mild herbs that help other flavours mingle together and they don't seem to overpower other herbs or ingredients. Good examples are bay leaves, parsley (especially Italian parsley), chervil, chives and marjoram.
The traditional version
Tie three stalks of parsley, one sprig of thyme and one bay leaf together with a piece of colourless string. Use it as is or tie your bouquet garni into a small piece of cheesecloth. Add it to stews, sauces or casseroles, remembering to remove it before serving.
Herbes de Provence
In France, "herbes de Provence" are sold in terracotta pots topped with patterned cloth, or in brightly coloured bags made from the same fabric. Make your own by mixing one tablespoon each of finely chopped fresh origanum, savory, thyme, marjoram and rosemary.
Different combinations
A bouquet garni doesn't have to contain the traditional mix of parsley, thyme and bay leaves. Come up with your own combinations. Just bear in mind that you need to include three groups of herbs (mild, fusion and robust) and that you must use them in the correct proportions. A rough guide is something like this: six parts fusion herbs, four parts mild herbs, and two parts robust herbs.
Blending flavours
Don't be nervous about blending flavours. If you are feeling a little unsure, however, you can't go wrong with parsley. Add this accommodating herb to your blend as it smoothes and reduces strong flavours and boosts the flavour of the weaker herbs.
Put it together
Must have herbs
Plant these herbs in pots, window boxes or in your garden:
Good idea
It's one thing to proudly plonk your bouquet garni in the pot – it's quite another getting it out. Tie the bouquet garni to the handle of the pot before suspending it in the soup or stew you are preparing. This will make it much easier to remove from the pot once you're done.
"Local is lekker" braai bouquet
Try this blend as a sprinkle on meat, before putting it on the braai. These proportions are only a guide – the measurements will depend on the amount of meat.
Did you know?
The term "bouquet garni" was coined by French chefs as far back as 1380, referring to a bundle of aromatic herbs, tied together and used to infuse food with flavour.
| story by Erla-Mari Diedericks from Ideas | |
| image by | |
