USE OF WINES AND HERBS IN COOKING.
Herbs , spices and flavorings are scarcely considered basic ingredients , yet we cannot cook successfully without them. The distinguishing features of a herb are that it is green and leafy may be eaten fresh or dried and can be grown in temperate regions.
Now a days , herbs are to widely available that only a few are restricted to a single country or area and some like thyme ,Parsley and bay leaf has become truly international .There are also herbs that complete certain foods . eg. the classic combination of mint sauce with roast lamb , chicken with tarragon .Herbs behave lies are leafy plants. They sprout in spring flourish through summer ,flower and then go to seed.
CHOOSING HERBS
Most herbs are at their best first before flowering and this is a critical time for herb gardeners. Since the plant’s energy is devoted to producing blossoms , to the detriment of the leaves .All the herbs are best picked fresh during the summer , but the most popular varieties are now available from nurseries year round.
When shopping for fresh herbs look for healthy sprigs that are strong in fragrance with no hint of mustiness avoid bouquets with dried ends , discolored leaves or wilted stalks.
Storing Fresh herbs
To store fresh herbs with short stalks put them in an unsealed plastic bag or wrap them in a moist paper towel and refrigerate them. Herbs with their roots intact are best of all, wrap the roots in a paper towel ,cover with a Plastic bag ,leaving the leaves outside and then refrigerate.
COOKING WITH FRESH HERBS
The taste of any herb is most important when it is uncooked .Pureed raw herbs from the base of various green sauces and chopped raw herbs feature in other cold sauces . Whole leaves may be used in salads and as a decoration .Not all herbs behave in the same way during Cooking ,Fragile herbs such as Parsley and tarragon whose volatile oil dissipate rapidly when heated are always added towards the end of cooking .More robust herbs (thyme and rosemary) benefit from lengthy cooking since their flavors infuse a dish more slowly.
Whether the leaves of a herb are coarsely cut , chopped or ground to a Paste can significantly affect flavour .When they are lightly shredded the volatile oils are not extracted. Chopping bruises the leaves of most fragile herbs but has little effect on robust leaves.
HERB MIXTURES
Often mixtures in slowly cooked dishes ,a bouquet garni is always includes sprigs of thyme Parsley and bay leaf ,tied together with string or wrapped in muslin.
A bouquet garni can be made with dried herbs or bought Pre-packaged , but is superior when made with fresh herbs. It is always removed before serving.
Fine herbs is a mixture of fresh chervil, chives and tarragon used raw or added toward the end of Cooking so it is scarcely heated.
The second classic combination is a Persillade of finals chopped Parsley leaves and garlic or shallot, often added to sautéed meats and vegetables.
The Milanese gremolata based on the acidic bite of lemon rind , include sage, rosemary
and anchory but today it is most often limited to lemon , garlic and Parsley.
Popular dried herb mixtures include herbs de Province a commercial mixture of thyme , savoury and an anise flavoured herb such as fennel ,Perhaps with some sage , rosemary and bay leaf .Poultry seasoning is a Commercial blend of ground rosemary ,sage ,ginger, oregano and black pepper intended to season roast poultry and stuffing .
ALLIUMS
The onion family (allium) provides some of our most familiar flavorings ,including garlic ,shallot and other varieties of onion itself. Chive the only true herb of the family is mild with a delicate green taste , while the others have a strong site.
Rocambole or giant garlic, develops mild flavoured edible bulb and marine flowers. It is seldom cultivated and mostly it is found in the wild.
Examples : Garlic, shallot, chive-(AlliumSchoenoprasum) Botanical Name(Allium Sativum) (Allium ascaloricum ) (Allium tuberosum Chinese chive).
FRAGILE HERBS
There are five major herbs that are characterized by their soft, fragile leaves: Parsley , Chervil, tarragon, Mint and basil). Fragile herbs are often eaten raw and should be cooked only lightly .For longer cooking their stalks may be used to give flavour and the leaves can be added shortly before serving.
PARSLEY
It is rich in vitamins and minerals and is used primarily as a garnish .The chopped leaves are combined with garlic or shallot to make both French Persillade and Italian gremolata.
Bt.name-Carum Petroselinum.
CHERVIL
One of the classic fine herbs. Parsley is sometimes substituted for it. The light green, feathery leaves differentiate it from Parsley. Bt.name-Anthriscus Cerefolium.
TARRAGON
One of the classic fine herbs .tarragon is widely available fresh , dried or preserved .Fresh tarragon is the first choice because its sweet and spicy flavour is strongest .
Bt.name – Artemisia dracunculas.
MINT
Most of the mint grown for Cooking is spearmint named for its spear shaped leaves. Fruit flavoured mints such as applemint are grown for use in beverages and fruit salads. Pennyroyal a slightly bitter mint has bright green leaves with a strong peppermint scent. It was ones a favourite in black Pudding and herb teas – Mentha Piperita.
BASIL
Basil whose name derives from the Greek word Basilikon, meaning kingly has an almost mystical reputation in some cultures. One of the best use of basil is in Italian Pesto sauce.
Bt.name-Ocimum basilicum.
BORAGE & SALAD BURNET
Both have a refreshing taste of cucumber their makes them a natural addition to summer punches.Borage pairs well with shellfish and its stalks can be peeled and used like celery. Salad Bunnet introduces a nutty flavour to garnishes , herb butter and soft cheeses.
Bt. name –Borage –Borage officinalis
Salad Burnet-Sanguisorbe Minor.
ROBUST HERBS
Thyme ,Savoury ,bay leaf, rosemary, sage, oregano and Manjoram can be considered together as robust herbs with cough leaves that are resistant to winter cold , summer sun and to the heat of cooking Pot.
THYME
Popularly the most popular of all the robust herbs thyme is indispensable to many classic stocks , sauces , slow cooked stews and braises .Other useful species for the cook are wild thyme , Caraway thyme and lemon thyme . A north African substitute for thyme Zatar has a much stronger taste.
Common Thyme Wild Thyme Lemon Thyme
Thymus vulgaris Thymus Serpyllum Thymus Citriodorus
SAVORY
Savory has a larger leaf than thyme , but is similar in flavour through rather more bitter. There are a number of varieties of savory , but the two most commonly used are summer savory and winter savory summer savory is sweeter and used more often than the winter variety . Bt.name Satureia Hortensis Satureia Montana.
BAY LEAF
The status once given to bay also called sweet bay or bay laurel ,is reflected in its Latin name .Laurus nobilis and its place in the Roman crown of victory.
In cooking fresh bay leaf can be bitter and it is usually used dried .Ground bay leaf may be used in stuffing but other wise the whole leaf is the best choice.
Bay leaf should not be confused with the cherry laurel (Prunns lauroceralus) which has a similar but darker leaf with no aroma and a bitter almond flavour.
Bt.name-Laurus nobilis.
ROSEMARY
Rosemary grows best in those countries that have a mild climate , including southern Europe and parts of North America Fresh Rosemary leaves are soft enough to chop and they combine well with other ingredients in many dishes such as Pasta a fagioli(soup with Pasta and beans) and as a flavoring for roast lamb.
Bt.name –Rosmarinus officinalis.
SAGE
Sage is traditional in stuffing and sausages .It is excellent with kebabs , and can be larded into meats or put under poultry skin for roasting , as well as cooked in strews and sautés. Fresh leaves have a more subtle ,sweeter taste than dried , and in control Italy they are fried in butter to flavour Pasta sauces .The leaves are also an important flavoring for Italian veal dish Saltion bocca.
Types of Sage : Pine apple sage, chia sage
Blue sage – named after its blue flowers.
Clary sage – salvia sclarea
Purple sage – salvia officinalis Purpurea
Golden sage – salvia officinalis acuea
Common sage – salvia officinalis
OREGANO & MARJORAM
In the garden those two herbs are difficult to tell apart , even in cooking they are inter changeable , although marjoram is often milder than Peppery Oregano. Oregano features strongly in Italian Cooking and is used in pasta sauces sprinkled on Pizza , and included in Southern Italian meat stews , Marjoram features in Scandinavian German and Australian dishes , and in the cuisine of the South Western U.S. Rigani , characteristic of Greek Cooking , is a general term for any of the wild species of Oregano .Pot Marjoram is a variety that grows well in colder climates ,but it can be bitter . Mexican Oregano and the wild Oregano of the western U.S. are not related to the Oregano but have a similar flavour.
Golden Marjoram & Oregano – O’ Aureum & O’Vulgara
RARE HERBS
In 1597 , John Gerard included 1,800 wood cut illustrations of different herbs in his edition .Like all old herbs Gerard’s book named many plants we now classify as vegetables or fruits . Herbals were important primarily because of the use of herbs in medicine , white hore hound which provides the menthol –like flavoring for throat lozenges and cough syrup was once featured in sauces , stews and salads .Purolane with its Vinegary flavour and crisp texture is still used in salads in Continental Europe and is sometimes pickled .Herb Bennet was used in Tudor times for its clove flavoured root, and is still appreciated by connoissenrs as a salad green. Costmary , a spicy herb used in ale, can flavour a variety of savoury dishes . Confrey has a cucumber flavour , like borage .It is good in drinks and salads and also makes excellent fritters .Melilot or sweet clove, is one fragile herb whose leaves are better dried than fresh .It has honey , sweetness of cloves and hay, and is refreshing in country wines. Bitter herb such as gentian and rue are used rarely in the kitchen , cut flavour certain and liqueurs.
Rare Herbs
Melilot – Melilotus
Comfrey – Symphytum officinale
Summer Purslane-Portulaca Oleracea
White hore hound –Marrubium Vulgare
Sweet wood druff – Aspernla Odorala
Herb bennet – Arena geum Urbanum
LEMON FLAVOURED HERBS
Several herbs are noted for their genole citrus flavour evocative of lemon , apart from the herbs described below , save varieties of other herbs , eg.thyme basil and mint are lemon scented . For all these herbs , lemon rind may be substituted in recipes , but the taste will be sharper . Lemongrass , a member of the grass family , has a bulbous base . It contains citral , one of the essential oils present in lemon dind . Strongest of the lemon –scented herbs is lemon Verbena , once a common fragrance in Cosmetics . A native of S.A it is now cultivated in Europe and can be substituted for lemon grass in south east asian recipes.
Lemon grass – Cymbopogon Citratus
Lemon balm – Melissa officinalis
Lemon Verbena – Lippia Citriodora
HERBS USED AS LEAF & SEED
DILL
It is common in Green Cooking ,where they impart a spicy ,arise, like flavour .Both sprigs and seeds are staple in Scandinavian Cuisines . It is used to flavour spirit like Aquavit. Bt . name –Anethum graveoleus
ANGELICA
Angelica is appreciated for the sweet flavour of its toothed leaves , root and seed , though the celery like stack is the pact most widely available .The young stalks are crystallized and make a bright green decoration for pastries and deneats Angelica seeds sre used to flavour vermouth , various arise based drinks and gin . Bt.name- Angelica archangelica
CORIANDER
Coriander sometimes called Chinese Parsley is often given its Mexican name . Cilantro , in the U.S. The seed which has a gentle citrus like Perfume is used in European Pastries, Cakes and veg dishes , and Indian spice mixtures Latin America , SouthWest American and south west Asian cuisines make great use of leaf Coriander in sauces , bean or meat dishes and salads , often in combination with chillies.
Bt.name- Coriander Sativum
CELERY
Celery leaves are tender but peppery and should be used sparingly in soups ,stuffings and grain dishes , Celery seeds is used in stuffings , Pickles and salad dressings . Celery salt is a seasoning made from crushed celery seeds and refined salt. Bt.name- Apium graveolens.
LOVAGE
This herb has an unusual musky flavour that is similar to celery but with a hint of lemon. Since it is stronger than celery, it should be used more sparingly .The leaves are used in salad the stalks are treated same as celery or may be crystallized like angelica .The seed is used in baking ,especially with cheese . Bt.name- Levisticum officinale.
FENU GREEK
Long a staple in Indian cookery , fenugreen has played only a minor role in western cooking , Fenu greek seed is often toasted and ground to add to powders .It has a nutty, slightly bitter flavour.
COOKING WITH WINES
Some wines and foods are natural Partners .Madeira is Perfect with tongue and ham , red wine with straw berries, cognac with chocolates , an apple Brandy is served with apples. Red and white wines are Employed in all areas of cooking , they add a richness to soup , stews and sauces , can enliven a stock , deglaze Pan juices and flavour of desserts of all kinds .Fortified wines Provide & elegant finish to sauces and soups as well as rich meats and desserts .Beer and dry cider are best suited to savoury dishes.
Red wines give a greater depth of flavour than white wines and go best with red meats and game , especially roasts and rich sauces , while both suit veal and chickes.
Rose wines are rarely used in Cooking , because they lack the acidity of white wine and the depth of a good red.
Sweet Sherries are used in desserts like trifle , while drier sherries such as fino feature in brown sauces and ragouts , Particularly of game. A spoonful of sherry is the traditional crowning touch to turtle soup and Cousomme.
Port Marries naturally with kidneys, sweet breads and is an alternative to sweet sherry in many savoury dishes . In Italian cooking , marsala with its dark , rich flavour reminiscent of sweet aged sherry , is often used to deglaze the pan juices for veal or turkey Escalopes, and as a flavouring for triffles and in game stews .It is the classic base for the desert Zabaglione, Madeira is often substituted for marsola .Malaga from the Andalusian region of spain , is a fortified wine that can be substituted for sweet sherries or Madeira.