In a previous post,”Fresh Herbs in the Kitchen”, I mentioned herbs used in Bouquet Garni and Fine Herbs. What exactly is bouquet garni and fine herbs blend? I hope the following will answer the question.

Bouquet Garni is a small bunch of aromatic fresh herbs and spices tied together and used in stocks, soups, stews, and sauces.

The herbs are tied together to keep the herbs contained so the flavor not the bits of the herb  will infuse the food. Fresh herbs have a tendency to look bad in the dish if they have cooked for longer than 10 to 15 minutes. Plus all their flavor is gone after the long cooking time. Both dried and fresh herbs along with spices can be used. If using dried herbs use method two.

Method #1: Tie two or three sprigs of Italian parsley (flat leaf) with one or two sprigs of thyme, and a bay leaf. You can include marjoram, French tarragon, rosemary, or sage in one or two sprigs each depending on the flavor desired.

Try tucking the herbs between two stalks of celery before tying for additional flavor. Some bouquet garni contain peppercorns, whole allspice, and whole cloves. Once the dish is cooked, remove the bunch of herbs.

Method #2: The bouquet garni is place in a small square of cheesecloth or clean muslin. The herbs are chopped and usually dried with this method. Bring the corners together and tie with a string with a tail long enough to hang over the edge, (not too long, you don’t want it to catch on fire) or tie to the handle of the pot. This makes it easy to remove. The dried herbs can also be placed in a tea ball instead of cheesecloth.

The bouquet garni can be made ahead from either fresh or dried. The fresh can be frozen and added to the pot straight from the freezer. The dried can be place in an airtight container for future use.

Fine Herbs blend: are usually added to the dish in small quantities in vegetables, eggs, chicken, soup, salads, sauces and fish dishes. Add the last few minutes of cooking to retain their flavor.

Fine herbs include finely chopped in equal amounts of chervil, chives, tarragon, and parsley.

A jar of dried fine herbs make a wonderful gift to anyone who enjoys cooking.

To make the gift jar of Fine Herbs blend: Fine a pretty jar or container with a tight fitting lid and add the dry herbs in equal amounts listed above. Include a few of your favorite recipes to the jar. Tie with a pretty bow. Don’t forget a label for the jar with the date the herbs were dried. Herbs loose their flavor after a certain amount of time. Six months to a year.

Happy Cooking!