Herb know-how

FRESH BERBS ARE A WONDERFUL, NATURAL FLAVOUR BOOSTER! SOMETIMES IT'S CONFUSING AS TO WHICH IS THE BEST HERB TO USE WHEN YOU'RE COOKING, SO HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS...

Mint

Add to rissoles and meatballs, especially lamb. Add chopped mint to Greek-style yoghurt with grated cucumber and a little salt to make fresh tzatziki. Add to cooked chickpeas, lentils or grain salads, also delicious in potato salads and coleslaw. To make a quick mint sauce, in a heatproof jug dissolve 2 tblsps caster sugar in 2 tblsps boiling water. Cool slightly. Stir in 1 cup fresh chopped mint, ¾ cup malt or white vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Store in a screw-top jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Parsley

Add chopped parsley to scrambled eggs to make green eggs, or mix parsley with chopped roasted nuts, finely chopped garlic and finely grated lemon rind to sprinkle over cooked meats, chicken or roasted vegetables. Add a handful to your next bowl of vegetable or chicken soup for a fresh vibrant flavour that’s packed with vitamins. If you have a large quantity of parsley, chop and add to pre-soaked burghul with chopped tomatoes, red onion, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to make tabouli.

Rosemary

Place whole sprigs of rosemary in a roasting pan with vegetables. Roast until tender, discarding rosemary before serving. To prepare rosemary, first remove the leaves by holding a sprig at the top and sliding your fingers firmly down the stem to strip off the leaves. Chop leaves and add to bread and rice stuffings, or add to soup as you start to cook it. Place a couple of sprigs of rosemary into a chicken cavity with lemon or onion halves before roasting. When barbecuing or chargrilling, remove the leaves from sturdy stems of rosemary and thread chunks of chicken or meat onto stems to use as a skewer for a rosemary flavour.

Thyme

It’s perfect for adding to dishes that require long, slow cooking – such as casseroles, soups, or slow-roasted lamb or beef – the flavour of the thyme will mellow as it cooks. Chop and scatter thyme leaves over potato layers in a potato bake, or sprinkle leaves over potatoes with olive oil and salt before roasting. Add chopped thyme to mince dishes, such as spaghetti bolognese, a meat or shepherd’s pie, or meatloaf. Thyme also goes well with roast chicken (chop leaves and add to butter with crushed garlic, then rub over chicken before roasting).

Photos: Benito Martin, Ben Dearnley. Styling: Janelle Bloom. Food preparation: Sarah-jane Hallett, Peta Dent. Recipe development: Mel Burge, Pam Jones.