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Tue 2003-11-18 14:21 |
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Well, I'm no expert, but.... For more than you could possibly need to know, and many *many* hours happy browsing, check out:
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/
Some general principles:
Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, tarragon, chives, basil, oregano (=marjoram), dill, mint - these cover the majority of bases for herbs in cookery. Garlic, paprika, coriander, pepper etc. aren't strictly herbs, but well worth getting the hand of.
Dried herbs and fresh often taste completely different - in particular parsley, chives and basil IMO - in all cases fresh is much stronger, cleaner and less "gritty".
Parsley gives a kind of fresh green flavour to things (crap description, I know, but better than "it tastes like parsley"), and is used a lot in French cookery. It's a milder flavour than most other herbs, and it's *hard* to use too much, so bears a lot of experimenting with.
Basil and oregano give food an "Italian" flavour - they're typically the main herbs in spag. bol. mixes. Oregano = majoram (more or less, M is a slightly milder species of O)
Basil is also used in the completely unrelated SE Asian cuisine, it gives a simultaneously spicy and cooling effect to a dish. in this context you want fresh basil stirred in at the very last minute.
Sage is a strong taste you'll know from sage and onion stuffing - useful for taking the edge of fatty stuff and is particularly traditional with pork.
Chives = onion relative - a slightly "sharper" taste than the closest relative, the green bits of spring onions.
Rosemary: Again a strong flavour, and the dried leaves are very hard, so will be quite noticeable in terms of texture. Scatter the dried stuff over the surface of a roast (particularly lamb), use fresh otherwise.
Thyme: Used a lot in French cookery - taste isn't describable in terms of anything else. Good with most meats and vegetables, a good all-rounder.
Tarragon: A very strong flavour, use sparingly - goes well with chicken and mushrooms - I'd be tempted to try it in the mushroom risotto, with a smaller amount of thyme (with which it combines well).
Dill: Useful only with fish, and in truly minute quantities - the dried stuff is unbelievably strong flavoured. No, even stronger than that. Good if used right, but experiment *before* trying on guests.
Mint: Unusual in much European cookery except as mint sauce with lamb. Use the fresh/dried stuff with pepper or chilli for a North African/Moroccan feel to a dish. The coolness of the mint and the heat make a *very* effective combination. |
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