Herbs

I've been mentioning herbs in my recent posts so I thought I'd be a little more specific. In general, I am a big fan of the 'whatever herbs are available' school of thought. However, that's a bit lazy at times and there are some thing for which you should stop and think.

In breton cooking, there is a lot of bay leaf, because there are huge laurel trees everywhere. I find that it goes well with fish, crabs, and meat alike. It's not too pungent, and so you can use as much as you'd like. Don't break it into pieces, though: you won't get any more out of it and you'll have to fish them out later.

Rosemary is tricky because it will give a strong flavor to your broth. It's possible to make delicious rosemary tea, but you don't want to be drinking it with your meat or fish. Use sparingly in a broth. However, in roasting, use as much as you'd like.

On the photo above, you can see the herbs I put in the baked/grilled duck from the previous post.

On the photo below, you can see my daughter picking fresh cilantro seeds off of a blooming cilantro twig. It's tedious work, but perfect for a 4.5 years old who wants to help. Cilantro is a personal favorite, and I often grind it to rub on meat (when it's dry) together with some pepper, or plunge it whole in a sauce.

Thyme is also a personal favorite. I use it often and grow it on my balcony in Paris when I can. I use lots of it everywhere, though some people think it's overpowering.