Adding flavour and colour to your cooking

Herbs give a wonderful flavour, even when used sparingly.

Marco Pierre White, writing on Knorr’s website, knorr.com, says: “Over my years in restaurant cooking, I’ve learnt which herbs go well with which types of food, so I thought I’d share my knowledge with you.”

Basil

Fresh basil is the taste of the Mediterranean. Use it with whole baked fish, such as sea bream or sea bass. It also goes brilliantly with tomatoes.

Try tearing fresh basil over a simple tomato salad, made using the ripest tomatoes you can find, or use it in a classic tomato sauce.

Bay

Adding just one or two bay leaves gives a great aroma to dishes such as slow-cooked beef casseroles or sauces. Also, use it with shellfish, such as mussels.

Parsley

Fresh and not overpowering, parsley is a supremely versatile herb which goes
well with many foods, from fish to vegetables. It’s also great to pair with beef by creating a parsley butter.

Rosemary

Fresh rosemary is a great match for fatty foods such as lamb or oily fish because its powerful, clean flavour cuts through the fattiness.

Try lamb chops with olives and rosemary. Rosemary has a strong enough flavour to be partnered with gutsy tasting ingredients such as garlic.

Sage

Much-loved by the Italians, who use it with pulses, I like to use this aromatic herb with pork in a stuffing or pork chops with apple and sage. – IOL Food