The way I used to just toss herbs in at the start of a braise vs. now adding them in two stages for way more flavor

Had an old chef yell at me for adding thyme at the same time as the aromatics so I tried splitting it half at the beginning and half near the end and now my stews actually taste like herbs instead of just sad boiled leaves, anyone else do this or am I just late to the game?

3 comments

3 Comments

price.ben1mo ago

Yep, started doing that after reading that you gotta treat herbs like two separate ingredients, early for the earthy base and late for the fresh punch.

baker.holly1mo ago

Hmm, I'm not sure that's quite right for rosemary specifically. The rule is solid for soft herbs like parsley or basil where the leaves are delicate, but woody herbs like rosemary actually benefit from going in early and staying there. The oils need time to break down, otherwise you just get chewy needles with no flavor. I usually add my rosemary at the start with the onions and let it go the whole cook time. Adding more at the end with rosemary just gives you crunchy bits that don't taste like much.

ray_williams1mo ago

Did you notice a bigger difference with woody herbs like rosemary versus softer ones like parsley?