Sauces: Types of Herbs

Basil

• works well with saffron, garlic, and olive oil
• irrestible with Mediterranean fish sauces
• works best when added at end of sauce's cooking
• flavour will dissapate if cooked for more than a few minutes
• will turn black when chopped, best to dribble a litte extra-virgin olive oil over leaves before chopping
• does not dry well
• can be frozen if chopped finely with olive oil and stored in tightly sealed plastic containers

Bay Leaf

• if cooked for more than an hour will lend a gentle complexity to stews and to red wine and game sauces
• must gauge amount carefully or the flavour either will be too dominating or will dissappear altogether
• can use dried bay leaf, but break in two and sniff to ensure it is not stale
• avoid California bay leaves as they have an agressive eucalyptus flavour

Chervil

• one of the most delicate herbs
• fresh chervil has a delicate anise flavour, vaguely reminiscent of tarragon but far more subtle and fleeting
• only use in last few minutes of cooking
• flavour is lost when used with tarragon
• one of the four herbs in the classic mixture fines herbes

Chives

• use at end of cooking to impart it's delicate, onion-like flavour
• when cooked for a minute or two the flavour will meld with other components and give a sauce renewed vitality
• unlike onions or shallots, chives are never overly assertive
• chives should always be chopped finely