Classic
Herb Blends
The flavors of many countries have found their way into our
kitchens. In the supermarkets we see herbs and spices from near
and far, both dried and fresh. Many prepackaged combinations
of herbs are available, but they are expensive and they age
quickly. Do you know that once they are opened, dried herbs
and spices are only effective for a few months? Growing and
drying your own herbs guarantees
that the herbs you use are always pungent and flavorful. Try
a few of the combinations I've listed below, and I'm sure you'll
agree. And throw out all those old bottles in the spice cabinet
soon!
Bouquet
garni
The idea behind the bouquet garni is to add flavor without little
flecks of herbs in the dish. Usually, these are dried herbs
or a combination of dried and fresh. They are made into little
bundles tied with a string long enough to be tied to the handle
of the pot for easy removal. You can use cheesecloth, muslin,
or even a tea ball to hold the herbs.
For
a muslin bag, cut a 4"x 4" piece. Place the herbs in the middle
and tie up the corners. I have also tucked herbs between two
pieces of celery stalk, tied them together, and dropped them
into the soup or stew. It is nice to have these bundles all
made up and stored in an air-tight jar, or to mix a favorite
blend and bundle it when needed. The traditional herbs used
in a bouquet garni are a tablespoon each of parsley and thyme
and one crumbled bay leaf. I always try to use fresh Italian
parsley because I find the dried has little flavor. Here
are some other combinations that I like to have on hand:
Sara's
Hearty Bouquet Garni
for stews, soups, meats, and other robust dishes.
1
part rosemary
1 part thyme
1 part sage
1 bay leaf, crumbled
10 peppercorns
Sara's
Savory Bouquet Garni
for light soups, stews, stocks, and vegetable dishes.
2
parts marjoram
1 part savory
1 part thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
a few peppercorns
Sara's
Hearty Herb Blend
This combo can be ground fine and used in a salt shaker. It's
good rubbed on roasts and in hearty stews. Forget the salt.
2
parts rosemary
2 parts summer savory
1 part thyme
1 part marjoram
Sara's
Leek Bouquet Garni
especially good for bouquets with garlic and spices.
Assemble your herbs. Wash 2 leek leaves about 10" long. Have
ready a 2' long cotton thread or unwaxed dental floss. Place
the herbs on the center and fold the end of the leek over so
they meet in the middle. Wrap the other leaf, curved side down,
over and around the folded leaf. Fold the ends of the second
leaf over the back of the first. Tie. The best tie looks like
the way a roast is tied. The leek is also a nice flavor to add.
Fines
Herbes
Only fresh herbs are used in the fines herbes combination. Add
these the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking to preserve the flavor.
Traditional fines herbes consists of chervil, parsley, thyme,
and French tarragon. This is
a nice combination for omelets, sautés, and cheese sauces.
Quatre
Epices
Literally, this means four spices. Good for roasts, poultry,
hardy vegetables, or desserts. For 1 teaspoon: rounded ½ tsp.
white pepper, scant ¼ tsp. nutmeg, very scant ¼ tsp. ginger
or cinnamon, and a generous pinch of cloves. Leave out the pepper
and you have a good dessert combination.
Curry
powder
Curry (or kari) leaves are leaves of the kari plant, used to
flavor southern Indian cooking. You can find fresh leaves in
an Indian specialty food store. Toast in a heated skillet over
medium heat until a shade darker and fragrant, about 4 minutes:
6
TBS whole coriander seeds
4 TBS whole cumin seeds
3 TBS chana dal or yellow split peas
1 TBS black peppercorns
1 TBS black mustard seeds
5 dried red chili peppers
10 fresh or dried curry leaves (optional)
Combine
the toasted spices with 2 TBS fenugreek seeds. Grind the mixture
to a powder in batches in a spice mill or electric coffee grinder.
Mix well with 3 TBS tumeric.
Chinese
Five Spice Powder
Good for pork and chicken. Best ground as needed and heated
before serving. 1 part each of Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon,
cloves, fennel, and star anise.
New
Mexican Chili Powder
Combine and toast over medium heat for 2 minutes:
5
TBS ground, mild chili peppers
2 TBS dried oregano
1 ½ TBS ground cumin
½ tsp ground red pepper, or to taste
Sara's
Cajun Blackening Spice
Rub generously on chicken, fatty fish, steaks, or vegetables
before pan broiling, grilling, or sautéeing. Spices will smoke
some during cooking.
1
TBS cracked black peppercorns
1 TBS salt
2 tsp crushed fennel seed
1 tsp dry thyme
1 tsp hot paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp sage
