Cooking in: Fresh herbs, judiciously used, can replace salt as a delicious and healthy seasoning, writes Hugo Arnold
Hardly a savoury dish overlooks herbs. Tomato salads are heady with the fragrance of basil. Stews are rich with the spiciness of flat-leaf parsley. Summer lamb is given a new dimension with sprigs of lush, green rosemary.
If you don't have a window sill to grow herbs on, or aren't too green-fingered, the good news is that most herbs keep well if you wrap them loosely in a plastic bag in the bottom of the fridge.
The only snag can be the cost, particularly if you buy fresh herbs in supermarkets, where they are expensive and come in small packets. Ethnic supermarkets and some delicatessens are good hunting grounds for large, cheap bunches of common herbs such as parsley and mint. (For more about which, read Corinna Hardgrave's report on the opposite page.)
If you're anxious about your salt intake, you can use herbs as seasoning. Lots of rosemary, for example, lets you take a light hand to the salt. The same is true of mint and parsley, particularly if you use them together.
Ignore all the gadgets on sale for chopping herbs: the best implement is a large cook's knife. Hold the pointed end of the knife with one hand firmly above the blade and chop with the other, swivelling the blade towards and away from you as you go. Provided you hold the knife firmly, you shouldn't cut yourself.
As for when to add herbs - stews and casseroles often benefit from having them added at the beginning; sauces and soups are often better with the herbs sprinkled over at the end. Chives and basil must only be added at the end; they are so delicate that their flavour and colour disappear with cooking.
The stronger herbs are more versatile than you might think. Rosemary goes really well with chicken. Try, too, roasting potatoes and finishing them off with rosemary.
Recipes serve 4
SUMMER CABBAGE WITH LENTILS, RICOTTA AND PARMESAN
1kg summer cabbage
200g Puy lentils
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
1 tbsp picked thyme leaves
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
4 tbsp ricotta
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Roughly chop the cabbage, removing any tough stalky bits, and blanch in boiling salted water for four minutes or until just tender. Drain and refresh in cold water.
Cover the lentils with cold water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until just cooked. Remove from the heat.
In a saucepan large enough to hold all the ingredients, heat four tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Turn these briefly in the oil and then add the cabbage. Saute gently for two minutes and then add the herbs.
Stir again, then add the lentils and their liquid. You may need to add more water as the mixture should be quite sloppy. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the cabbage and lentil mixture into four bowls. Spoon the ricotta over the top, sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and drizzle with lots of good olive oil.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH SWEET PAPRIKA AND SHERRY
handful sage
handful rosemary
handful parsley
1 tsp pimentón dulce (mild sweet paprika)
150ml fino sherry
3 tbsp olive oil
1 chicken
4 dessertspoons yogurt
Chop all the herbs finely and combine with the remaining ingredients, except the yogurt and chicken. Gently rub half of the mixture on to the chicken for at least five minutes. This is crucial in allowing the bird to absorb some of these delicious flavours.
Stuff the cavity with the other half of the mixture and leave, covered, for four hours, or overnight in the fridge. If the chicken has been in the fridge, remove at least an hour before you intend to cook it. Brush the marinade off the surface of the bird and add to the rest in the cavity. You'll end up with bits on the outside, but as much as possible should go inside.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/gas six. Place the chicken, upside down, in a lightly oiled roasting tray in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 180 degrees/gas four and add 200ml of water. Return to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes, basting every 10-15 minutes. Turn the bird breast side up for the final 20 minutes and raise the heat back up to 200 degrees/gas six to brown the breast. Turn the oven off and leave the door open, allowing the bird to rest for 10-15 minutes. Reduce the resulting sauce to about half its volume. Serve the chicken and sauce with plain rice, topping each serving with a dessertspoon of yogurt.
SALMORIGLIO
This is an incredibly simple sauce to make and serve. It goes really well, in true Italian style, with any grilled meat or fish.
250ml extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp finely chopped new season garlic
sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and serve.
PESTO
1 tbsp pine nuts
50g fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, peeled, finely chopped and crushed with a little salt
olive oil
25g Parmesan cheese, grated
Heat a dry frying pan and toast the pine nuts until they are just coloured, then allow them to cool. Put the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor, switch on and dribble in about six tablespoons of olive oil or until you have a loose paste. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the Parmesan and season with salt.