"more or less as the whim dictated" ... this is precisely my problem. See, with my limited palate I can barely tell what herbs are in something at all, and I certainly can't usefully distinguish them. I can just about tell if something tastes particularly herby in general, or tastes particularly boring and needed more herbs, but that really is as far as it goes. So I don't have any particular "ooh, I feel in the mood to put in some <foo> today" sorts of whims that I can follow.
When I'm cooking, herbs are something I throw in largely for the benefit of my guests, so I need to know how to get them right without being able to judge them for myself.
In mushroom risotto I'd use a bit of fresh black pepper, maybe a bay leaf for richness, and some thyme (fresh if possible), since the nice woody-smoky flavour goes with mushrooms fairly well. Maybe sprinkle some parsley on top just for garnish, or a dollop of fromage frais or creme fraiche; but as various people have said parsley's pretty powerful so take care. Good stock really is everything in a risotto, but I've had plenty of luck with Knorr powdered stock as well as the concentrated bottled stuff you and I used to use.
...oh, and if you can grate the onion finely (I use the Benriner) and fry it slowly, preferably caramelise it a bit, before you start cooking the risotto, that really helps too; adds a lovely sweetish note.
Well, most herbs don't clash madly with most other herbs or food. And most packaging comes with handy hints on the side like :goes well with chicken. Or with unsubtle titles like: Pork seasoning.
So mostly you can get away with going for: needs more herbs, or OK, it's herby enough. Rosemary is very aromatic though, so be careful how much you use.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I do like marjoram with lamb, though. Also a mix of coriander, cumin and cinnamon, which is good in omelettes and other egg dishes, too.
Basil and paprika go quite well together. Coriander is very useful if you feel you
've gone over thetop with chili at any point.
When I'm cooking, herbs are something I throw in largely for the benefit of my guests, so I need to know how to get them right without being able to judge them for myself.
So mostly you can get away with going for: needs more herbs, or OK, it's herby enough. Rosemary is very aromatic though, so be careful how much you use.