Thursday, July 28, 2011

Cooking with Thymes

Tlie most basic thyme flavor is an intense herbaceousness. Taste it, and you know you're eating a plant. When fresh, thyme has sharp, vegetal notes supported by strong earthy tones. Dried thyme has a deeper flavor. French thyme has a sweeter note. Lemon thyme, not surprisingly, has a strong citrus fragrance and taste. Tlie various scented thymes all smell like their namesakes, but most lose their aroma when heated. To use thyme, simply use your fingertips to strip the leaves off the stems. Tliey're small enough that they should require no extra chopping.



Add full sprigs of thyme to soups, broths and poaching liquids to infuse them with its aroma and flavor. Stuff handfuls of thyme inside whole roasting chickens or fish.Use a pile of thyme inside whole roasting chickens or fish. Use a pile of thyme clippings as a bed on which to cook a pork roast or potatoes. Tlie vegetal taste and aroma of thyme balance the robust flavors of beef, lamb, pork and venison; it also brightens chicken and fish. Thyme pairs well with many fruits, including citrus, apples, pears and grapes, and it is the primary herb in the classic bouquet garni of French cookery.

Because thyme grows
wild throughout the Mediterranean basin, it is widely used as
a basic herb of the region.


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