Herbs give taste, color and aroma to the dish. However, their use has its own rules. How and when to add herbs to food?
The soup is Greek. Not only will it warm you up, but sometimes it will also get you back on your feet. That’s why our ancestors never allowed them. The soup was a “pre-pay” meal and everything in the house drowned in it. To this day, Czechs eat soups at least on weekends. Among the most popular are classic beef or chicken soup, cauliflower cream, cabbage soup or stew.
Soups are also decorated with herbs, which at the same time act as a decoration and as a “taste agent”. The most versatile spice is fresh lovage, which is most often used in vegetable, chicken or beef broths. Parsley, mint or chives are also popular. Even today, it is popular among expectant mothers because it contains a lot of folic acid, which is important for the healthy development of the baby.
In the video you will learn how to cook with fresh herbs:
Libeček goes well with soups.
So the stomach has less work to do
Of course, there is no shortage of herbs even in denser dishes. Marjoram is still added to stews or potato pancakes to improve their digestibility. Basil, which is a common seasoning for legume dishes, roasted vegetables or meatballs, has a similar function, surprisingly.
Lovers of Italian food cannot miss oregano. Its fine crumbs are used in marinades, pizzas or meat. In France, oregano is so popular that they even added it to the iconic Provençal spice. Rosemary and thyme are equally popular in Mediterranean regions. In both cases, these are very aromatic plants that are added to potatoes, pasta or salads.
Marjoram will improve the digestibility of chips.
Soft or hard?
But, as with everything, you have to be careful with herbs. Chefs divide herbs into two types – soft and hard. Among the soft ones are basil, chives, “curly” parsley, coriander, chervil, dill, tarragon, marjoram or fennel. The special feature of these plants is that they cannot be cooked!
They are added only at the end of cooking, because otherwise they would become bitter and lose their nutritional potential. On the contrary, hard herbs must be properly cooked in order to release the aromatic essential oils and give the dish a good taste. It is, for example, a bay leaf, rosemary, sage, thyme or lavender. Therefore, don’t be afraid to put them in soups, but also in cake batter.
The bay leaf needs to be boiled in order to release its aromatic essential oils.
Skin cutting
Fresh herbs have a strong taste and smell. But sometimes it happens that they cannot be chopped well with a knife, in this case experts recommend that the “green twigs” be finely chopped with scissors. With dry spices, it is necessary to take care that they lose their properties during long storage. That’s why chefs soak it in oil before use, where it develops its flavor.
Can’t chop greens? Cut them with scissors.
Herb packets
On the one hand, herbs are welcome in food because they flavor and elevate them, but there are also those who eat (especially children) who do not need them in food. Therefore, experts recommend that herbs should not be unnecessarily chopped into a dish, but used as a bundle. How to do it?
Pick fresh herbs, tie them with twine and put them in soup or sauce. As soon as the essential oil from them boils on the fire, just take out the bundle and throw it away. When served, the dish will taste good, but pieces of green herbs will not bother anyone.
Place a bunch of herbs in a bowl. Take them out after cooking. The dish will be fragrant and tasty.
Resources: www.lidovky.cz, www.youtube.com