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GUIDE TO HERBS – Page 2
Thyme
An absolute kitchen essential, thyme is a versatile herb that’s commonly used to add flavour to cooked dishes and goes especially well with all meats, poultry and game. It has tiny green leaves - that can be easily stripped off the woody stalk - and a very intense taste and fragrant aroma. Add to chopped onions and fry gently with some crushed garlic to release the flavour before adding other ingredients for stews, soups and sauces. Or throw a few sprigs into a meaty casserole and simply remove before serving. Thyme is also brilliant for flavouring roast chicken as it cooks – stuff a few sprigs into the cavity before roasting.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a powerful and very aromatic herb that should be used sparingly. It has tough woody stalks and dark green spiky leaves. Use the leaves finely chopped in stuffings for meat, poultry and game, or insert sprigs into lamb joints before roasting. Try a little chopped rosemary in home-made lamb burgers or to add flavour to barbecue marinades. You can also use rosemary for sweet dishes such as ice creams and custards – simply add a few sprigs to hot milk or cream and allow to infuse.
Rosemary is a powerful and very aromatic herb that should be used sparingly. It has tough woody stalks and dark green spiky leaves. Use the leaves finely chopped in stuffings for meat, poultry and game, or insert sprigs into lamb joints before roasting. Try a little chopped rosemary in home-made lamb burgers or to add flavour to barbecue marinades. You can also use rosemary for sweet dishes such as ice creams and custards – simply add a few sprigs to hot milk or cream and allow to infuse.
Coriander
Commonly used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cooking, coriander has flat green leaves with frilly edges. Intensely fragrant and strongly flavoured – a little goes a long way. The stems can be used to flavour stocks and sauces and the leaves chopped and added at the end of cooking to retain their zingy flavour. Try adding a few leaves to lift rich, meaty curries, add aroma to Thai-style stir fries and brighten up Moroccan tagines.
Commonly used in Indian, Asian and Mexican cooking, coriander has flat green leaves with frilly edges. Intensely fragrant and strongly flavoured – a little goes a long way. The stems can be used to flavour stocks and sauces and the leaves chopped and added at the end of cooking to retain their zingy flavour. Try adding a few leaves to lift rich, meaty curries, add aroma to Thai-style stir fries and brighten up Moroccan tagines.
Basil
Often sold growing in pots in the supermarket, basil is a herb that no self- respecting Italian would be without. It has a warm, slightly spicy aroma, a very distinctive flavour and broad green leaves. Essential for green pesto and plum tomato and mozzarella salads, it’s also brilliant tossed through freshly cooked pasta and stirred into Italian-style stuffings for meat and poultry. Best add at the end of the cooking time to retain its vivid colour and pronounced flavour. Don’t chop too finely as the leaves are easily bruised – instead, tear or roughly shred.
Often sold growing in pots in the supermarket, basil is a herb that no self- respecting Italian would be without. It has a warm, slightly spicy aroma, a very distinctive flavour and broad green leaves. Essential for green pesto and plum tomato and mozzarella salads, it’s also brilliant tossed through freshly cooked pasta and stirred into Italian-style stuffings for meat and poultry. Best add at the end of the cooking time to retain its vivid colour and pronounced flavour. Don’t chop too finely as the leaves are easily bruised – instead, tear or roughly shred.
