Enhance your cooking with herbs


Herbs can lift your meals to another level, but which should we use and when? takes a look at some of the most popular herbs and some fresh fl avour combinations


Parsley Parsley is probably the most common herb used in western food. It has a light peppery fl avour that complements other seasonings. It’s most often used in sauces, salads and sprinkled over dishes at the end of cooking for a fl ash of green. Try: Parsley instead of basil in pesto and stir into pasta


Bay The bay we use in cooking is the dried leaf of the bay laurel tree. It is usually found in a bouquet garni – this is a bunch of herbs tied together with string and placed into a stock, sauce or stew while cooking and removed before serving. Try: Adding a bay leaf to creamy curries during cooking. Remove before plating up


Basil A close relative to mint, basil has a fl oral anise- and clove-like fl avour and aroma. It works well with Mediterranean foods and tomato sauces. Try: Threading a small basil leaf, a sliver of mozzarella and half a cherry tomato onto a cocktail stick for an Italian- inspired canapé


Dill The feathery leaves, or fronds, of the dill plant add a pleasant anise-like fl avour to seafood, soups, salads and sauces. Its subtle taste makes an excellent complement to foods with gentle fl avours like fi sh and shellfi sh. Try: Using dill to give simple tinned tuna-and-mash fi shcakes a sophisticated taste


36 JULY 2011


Chives Chives add a fl avour similar to onion without the bite. They also look incredible snipped and sprinkled as a garnish. Add at the very end of cooking to maximise their delicate colour and fl avour. Try: Adding purple chive blossoms to a salad


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