Bouquet Garni/Garnished Bouquet
is a collection of scents, a bundle of herbs, as if they were fresh-cut flowers, of French origins, used to enhance the flavour of “wet” dishes such as broths, stews, sauces and soups.
There are two versions: dry and cool.
COOL – The Classic bouquet is: bay leaf, thyme and parsley.
Tie the herbs together with a string, using bay leaves as a wrapper or a small muslin bag.
The easiest way is to bind the bunch with kitchen twine.
DRY – Scrum 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 teaspoon of thyme and 1 bay leaf. Combine the herbs in a bowl. Place them in a cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine, leaving a bit of string to pull the bag in and out of the pot.
It is possible to use herbs in combinations of fresh and dried. One teaspoon of dried and one tablespoon of fresh herbs.
It is also possible to create a Bouquet Garni using herbs such as sage, dill, tarragon, basil, lemon zest, chervil, coriander, celery, turnip, peppercorns, rosemary, marjoram, fennel, orange peel.
To flavour boiled fish, bay leaves in the cooking water are perfect; dill is great with salmon or as base for sauce.
Remember, always remove the Bouquet Garni before serving.
- Bouquet Garni could be a wonderful gift!
- Organic herbs should be preferred.
