The particulars of a bouquet garni can seem elusive, but the idea is really quite simple: to create a tiny bouquet of herbs that you can pop into whatever broth or soup or roast that you're hoping to season. A staple in French dishes ranging from boeuf bourguignon to bouillabaisse, the bouquet garni is a little bit of genius that means that a dish can become richly flavored without leaving lots of wilted herbs behind. I like to think of it as a kind of savory tea bag. Here are two simple approaches for tying one of your own.
Photography by Erin Boyle.
Above: A bouquet garni can be made from a collection of whatever herbs your recipe calls for. Many traditional combinations include Mediterranean herb staples such as rosemary, thyme, sage, bay leaf, and parsley, shown here.
Above: The first bouquet technique is a simple bundling of herbs. I began by making a small pile with a few stems of each fresh herb I wanted to use.
Above: Next, using a bit of kitchen string, I tied the whole bunch together. If you're concerned about leaves coming loose, you can wrap your bouquet in several spots. A ball of cotton Household String like the one I used is available from Kaufmann Mercantile for $1.79.
Above: The second approach makes use of a bit of cheesecloth. Unbleached Cheesecloth is available for $5.79 from Casa.
Above: To make a bouquet garni bundle, I placed my herbs in the center of a small square of unbleached cheesecloth.
Above: I tied together the corners of the cheesecloth square and then wrapped the tied ends with string to make sure it would stay secure even after being plunked into burbling liquid. This technique is especially useful if you'd like to include smaller spices like black peppercorns or dried hot pepper in your recipe.
Above: Et voilà! After you've finished using your bouquet, carefully lift it out of your pot and give it a gentle squeeze to release any extra flavor. If you're in need of a beautiful Linen Dish Towel to dry your hands, this one is available from Small Batch Productions for $22.
For more ways to use bundled herbs, see Modern Pot Pourri: How to Dry Your Own Scented Herbs.