SAVVY COOKING
SAGE Sage’s soft leaves and punchy flavour make it an ideal partner for other robust ingredients. Larger leaves are great for frying, as they go crispy. Sage’s potency can vary, so taste before adding too much. Try it with Aged hard cheeses – add to a batch of cheese scones or blitz with Parmesan and sprinkle over potatoes before roasting.
THYME
DILL
Thyme’s floral, savoury flavour and tiny leaves make it superversatile. It stands up to slow cooking, marinating and baking. Add sprigs to soups and risottos, or picked leaves to bread dough, pastry or even Yorkshire pudding batter. Try it with Lemon cake – add a few thyme (or lemon thyme) leaves to the batter of a lemon cake for a foral twist.
Often used in Scandinavian and Eastern European cuisines, dill is soft and delicate with notes of anise and fennel. It adds freshness to pork and oily fish, complements poached salmon and prawns, and adds contrast to earthy root veg. Try it with Mackerel – add dill to cucumber ribbons with white wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar; set aside for a few mins before serving with fried mackerel fillets.
TARRAGON
Its strong anise flavour means that tarragon can be divisive and should be used sparingly. But when coupled with the right ingredients in the correct quantities, it can transform a dish. Strip the leaves and chop before adding to sauces or dressings. Try it with Chicken – stir chopped tarragon into mayonnaise and toss with shredded roast chicken to upgrade your sandwich.
PARSLEY
USE IT UP
Don’t throw away the stems of soft herbs – finely chop and add at the start of cooking.
There are two main varieties of parsley – flat-leaf and curly-leaf. Due to its softer texture, flat-leaf can be used as a salad leaf as well as a herb. Chop with a sharp knife to avoid bruising the leaves. The hardier curly type is often used in a bouquet garni. Try it with Prawns – the fresh earthiness of parsley matches well with the minerality of seafood. Cook prawns in butter, garlic and white wine. Stir in chopped parsley to serve. 45