Let us start at the very beginning. Most of us are nervous of introducing herbs into our cooking, simply how to because we have little or no idea of exploit them. And so we behave fearfully when they enter the kitchen, as if they possess some talismanic evil, some malignant potency, which can discombobulate our creations.
I realised just how deep our mistrust is when I went to visit Rosarie and Kevin O'Byrne of the West Cork Herb Farm, a few miles west of Skibbereen Mrs O'Byrne had recently appeared on RTE's Live at 3, talking about growing herbs and then using them in the kitchen.
Now here she was back in her kitchen, besieged by letters which asked, simply, "Can you tell me anything about herbs", or "Please could you send me some details of the medicinal qualities of herbs".
If those are the sort of questions you ask yourself about herbs, then relax. Herbs are good guys, not evil trolls. They support and structure flavours, they complement our cooking, and they add charm and subtlety when they are used properly.
Few people understand this better than Mrs O'Byrne, whose use of herbs in the oils, marinades and, in particular, the fabulous tarragon mustard which she makes under the West Cork Herb Farm label, are examplars of the skillful understanding of these delights of the garden.
So I asked Mrs O'Byrne to simply compile the ten most important details relating to herbs, in a variety of categories, and I have supplemented her responses with some ideas, and with some recipes, which will show how the use of herbs can enliven a dish, and how the use of herbs in the kitchen can quickly become something you take for granted.
The top 10 herbs to have in the garden
Bay
Essential for bouquet garni, and for soups and stews and braises. But it can actually stand on its own as a flavouring, as this inspired Tuscan recipe, featured in Patricia Wells's book Trattoria, shows.
Risotto with Bay Leaves and Parmesan
About 1.5 litres vegetable broth or chicken stock, preferably homemade
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
4 bay leaves, preferably fresh
Sea salt to taste
360g (12oz) Italian Arborio rice
125ml (4 fl oz) flowery white wine
60g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan, plus additional for table
1. In a large saucepan, heat the stock and keep it simmering, at barely a whisper, while you prepare the risotto.
2. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine 30g (1oz) of the butter, the oil, shallot, bay leaves and salt over moderate heat. Cook, stirring, until the shallot is soft and translucent, about three minutes. (Do not let the shallot brown.) Add the rice and stir until the rice is well coated with the fats glistening and semi translucent, one to two minutes. (This step is important for good risotto: the heat and fat will help separate the grains of rice, ensuring a creamy consistency in the end.)
3. When the rice becomes shiny and partly translucent, add the wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice has absorbed most of the wine, one to two minutes. Add a ladleful of the simmering stock and stir regularly until all of the liquid is absorbed. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, The rice should cook slowly and should always be covered with a veil of stock. Continue adding ladlefuls of warm stock, stirring and tasting regularly, until the rice is almost tender but firm to the bite, about 17 minutes. The risotto should have a creamy, porridge like consistency.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the Parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat for two minutes, to allow the flavours to blend. Taste for seasoning. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer to warmed shallow soup bowls and serve immediately, passing additional cheese.
Serves 6 to 8.
French Tarragon
Not to be confused with Russian Tarragon, which has an inferior flavour and a quite different taste. A classic partner for chicken and fish dishes, also good with eggs and vegetables, and teams beautifully with butter.
Winter Savory
Sue Lawrence points out in her book Feasting an Herbs that savory "is not a well known herb in many kitchens", but in pointing out its many attributes - good with beans, peas and lentils, good in stuffings and with most meat dishes, she concludes, "I believe this is a herb with potential!" Winter savory is available for most of the year. Its partner, summer savory, is actually considered to beta little superior in taste. Both are strong tasting.
Chervil
One of the fines herbs of classical French cookery - the others are chives, tarragon and parsley. "The leaves have a delicious anise like flavour, like a subtle blend of parsley and tarragon," writes Alice Waters.
Lovage
"A flavour between citrus and celery" writes Sue Lawrence, and I certainly think of the hardy lovage as celery like, even in appearance. It is easy to grow, and the flavour is not only strong, but lingering. Its cleanness of flavour makes it very prominent - and welcome - chopped into salads.
Silver Posie Thyme
Thyme is a herb which I always think off as a mainstay of the professional kitchen. It is used along with bay leaf in a basic mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery, and used to underpin and give depth to many flavours. It is usually used at the beginning of cooking, but here is a clever recipe from Sue Lawrence which uses it at beginning and end.
Carrots with Honey and Thyme
250g (8oz) baby carrots
2 level teaspoons honey 15g
(half oz) butter
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1. Cut the ends off the carrots and scrape them. Place in a saucepan with enough cold water to barely cover. Add the honey, butter, salt and penner and two thirds of the thyme leaves.
2. Bring to the boil, cover and cook for five minutes.
3. After five minutes remove the lid, increase the heat to high and cook for a further to minutes, until the liquid has reduced down and become caramelised.
Try not to stir; shake the pan firmly instead. Do this regularly, particularly towards the end of cooking, or they might stick.
4. Serve the carrots in a warmed dish, and sprinkle over the remaining thyme leaves.
Rosemary
Use too much, and rosemary will completely dwarf all other flavours in a dish. Get it just right, and the strong essential oils give a powerful, aromatic fillip to your cooking think this terrific sauce showcases its virtues, in a recipe taken from Anna del Conle's splendid book, The Classic Food of Northern Italy.
Always make plenty of this, for with a little chopped chorizo it makes a great pasta sauce, and it also goes well with mussels.
Chicken with Tomato and Rosemary Sauce
A free range chicken of about 1.5kg, cut into pieces
Half lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
60g (2oz) unsalted butter
150ml (5 fl oz) dry white wine
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Sauce:
1 small onion or 3 shallots
2or 3 fresh rosemary sprigs, each about 5
inches long
The rind of 1 unwaxed lemon
Half to 1 dried chilli
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
450g (1lb) fresh tomatoes or a 400g (14oz)
can plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Rub each piece with the half lemon. Heat the oil and the butter in a large saute pan. When the butter foam begins to subside put in the chicken pieces and fry on all sides until they are nicely browned.
Add the wine, bring to the boil and boil for one minute. Turn the heat down and throw in the onion and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. Chop very finely together the onion or shallots, rosemary needles, the rind of the lemon and the chilli. Put the oil in a frying pan and when it is hot add the chopped ingredients. Saute gently for five minutes or so and then add the tomatoes and a little salt. Cook over lively heat for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Now that the sauce is done, scoop it into the saute pan with the chicken and mix it with the lovely cooking juices at the bottom of the pan. Let the whole thing cook together for another quarter of an hour so that the chicken will take the flavour of the sauce.
Test the chicken by pricking the thigh with the point of a small knife or a thin skewer. The juices that run out should be clear. Correct the seasoning before bringing the dish to the table.
Basil
The most voguish herb at present, thanks to our fixation with pesto, in which this gorgeous herb is a main player. Its intense perfume is reason enough to have a good basil plant in the kitchen, but once you have a taste for it, you will soon find it popping into every pasta and salad you make.
Parsley
Our own curly parsley is currently not as fashionable as the flat leaf Italian parsley, but I reckon it can stand on its own any time. One secret when using it is to always chop parsley very finely; this releases the oils and makes it a more effective flavouring agent. This recipe, from Alice Waters's book Chez Panisse Vegetables, can be served drizzled over snap peas, with asparagus, seared tuna, polenta or grilled vegetables.
Chez Panisse Parsley and Toasted Almond Salsa
1 shallot
2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt
1-and-a-half tablespoons capers
2 salt-packed anchovies
1 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chervil
Three-quarters cup olive oil
Half-cup toasted almonds
Dice the shallot finely and cover with the red wine vinegar. Add a good pinch of salt and let macerate for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the capers and soak them for five minutes. Drain and chop coarsely. Rinse the anchovies, remove their fins and backbones, and chop the fillets. Mix together the chopped herbs, capers, anchovies, and the shallots and vinegar. Add enough olive oil to reach a saucy consistency. Chop the almonds very fine and add to the salsa.
Mint
There are a huge variety of mints, with spearmint the most common cultivated variety. Often its use is confined to simply playing a decorative role on a dessert plate, chaperoning ice creams especially, but it is a valuable kitchen ally, its freshness a beautiful foil in an Italian dish such as cucumber, radish and orange salad, where the torn up leaves are added to the ingredients and then a dressing of salt, olive oil and lemon juice completes the picture.