Sunday, November 30, 2008

How to Use Thyme in French Cooking Recipes

By KC Kudra

Whether you are a new cook or an experienced one, you will know that there are plenty of herbs, spices and seasonings that can be used to make a dish sublime. Thyme is a very popular herb and has various uses. Thyme is popular in French cooking recipes and goes with many different foods. Thyme gives food a tangy, earthy flavor and if you have used it, you will know that its taste and smell are very distinctive. A few interesting facts about thyme can help you decide when to use it in your cooking and how it brings out the flavor of your French recipes.

While some people simply buy thyme dried from the store, you can also purchase and grow it fresh. Remember that when cooking with fresh thyme that on a fresh sprig is about equal in potency to one-half a teaspoon of dried thyme.

You need to crush the thyme leaves before adding dried thyme to your food, to ensure the thyme taste will be evenly distributed. Dried thyme should be kept in a dark, cool place in an airtight container. If you keep it in this way, it should last up to 6 months. When it is past its best, the thyme will begin to smell musty.

Growing your own thyme is very simple and can easily be done in a window box. When you want to dry it, hang it upside down for a few days and check to see how crispy the leaves are becoming. If you decide to use it fresh, use just the leaves, as the stems will tend to be woody. You can drag the plants through the tines of a fork to pull the leaves off, or you can simply pinch them off.

You can integrate the unique flavor of thyme in your French cooking recipes in many ways. Thyme is also very good with mushroom stroganoff because the earthy flavor of the thyme matches the earthy mushroom flavor. Adding thyme to a mushroom stroganoff gives amazing results. If you are making a special dish like this, what better than to look through some French dessert recipes and pick something light, like choux a la crme or crme caramel?

Thyme complements any dish, which requires mustard. Honey mustard chicken, for example, can be too sweet, but adding some thyme makes the flavor more rounded and satisfying.

As well as being used in French recipes, thyme goes very well with homemade salad dressings and vinaigrettes. It adds texture and spice. Thyme also goes well with soft, pale cheeses, if you are planning appetizers. The sharp taste of the thyme is excellent with the sweetness of the cheese.

The sky is the limit when it comes to finding uses for thyme. It is used in many French cooking recipes, so why not try a basic French recipe first, followed by a French dessert recipe. The impact of a sprinkle of thyme in your meal will be sure to pleasantly tantalize your taste buds. - 15266

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