Nowadays, we expect a full array of fresh herbs to be available from our supermarkets throughout the year. But fresh herbs are delicate: they need kid glove cookery to show them at their distinctive best.
Fergus Henderson's book, Nose to Tail Eating, is one of my favourite recent cookery books, mainly because the food is so down-to-earth - much like the author's style: he proudly calls something "green sauce" when everyone else would be calling it "salsa verde". This sauce recipe shows what I mean: simple instructions lead to the creation of a great, green sauce, which "almost goes with every meat, roast, boiled, or cold, vegetables, and some fish". Don't use a magimix to make this, as the author warns that if you do, "you will end up with a pulp rather than a textural delight".
Green Sauce
half a bunch of curly parsley
half a bunch of flat-leaf parsley
half a bunch of mint
a quarter-bunch of dill
a small showing of tarragon (it has a habit of taking over if added in large quantities)
1 small tin of anchovy fillets, finely chopped
12 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a handful of capers, roughly chopped (if extra fine, keep whole)
extra-virgin olive oil
crushed black pepper
Chop your herbs finely, but not too finely, and mix with the anchovy, garlic, and capers. Add olive oil to reach a loose, still spoonable, but not runny or oily consistency. Taste and season with black pepper (the anchovies should negate any necessity for salt).
CHEFS have such a fondness these days for flat-leaf - or Italian - parsley, that our own curly variety has become quite oldfashioned. So, let's resurrect its stature with this fine soup which lets parsley steal centre stage, a nice easy idea from Sue Lawrence's book, Feasting on Herbs.
Parsley Soup
2 oz (50 g) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 lb (500 g) potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large leek, washed and sliced
5 oz (150 g) parsley stalks and leaves
1 and a half pints (900 ml) light chicken stock
half teaspoon salt pepper
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, then gently fry the onion, celery, potatoes and leek for about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, stock, salt and pepper, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Whizz everything together in a liquidiser (a food processor will do, but you might need to sieve it afterwards), then taste for seasoning.
Serve piping hot, perhaps with a swirl of cream and freshly chopped parsley.
`HE who has sage in the garden has no need of the doctor", runs the old saying, and the powerful medicinal qualities of sage are yet another reason to make use of this glorious leaf. The Italians exploit it to the full, cooking it with calves' liver and with veal, and around Venice they also cook it with eel. Here is a terrific Alice Waters recipe which showcases the robust flavour of the herb to counteract the starchiness of squash and arborio rice.
Sage and Butternut
Squash Risotto
1 medium butternut squash (about 1 lb)
about 24 sage leaves
salt and pepper
7 to 8 cups chicken stock
1 medium onion
5 and a half tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups Arborio rice
half cup dry white wine
half cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Carefully peel and clean the squash and dice it into very small cubes. Put the diced squash in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook with a few whole leaves of sage, salt, and one cup of the chicken stock. Cook until tender, but not too soft, about five to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop six sage leaves fine and cut the onion into small dice.
Heat the rest of the chicken stock and hold at a low simmer. In another, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat three tablespoons of the butter, add the chopped sage, and cook for a minute or so. Add the onion and continue to cook over medium heat, until it is translucent, for about five minutes. Add the rice and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for about three minutes, stirring often, until the rice has turned slightly translucent. Turn up the heat and pour in the white wine. When the wine has been absorbed, add just enough hot stock to cover the rice, stir well, and reduce the heat.
Keep the rice at a gentle simmer and continue to add more stock, a ladle or two at a time, letting each addition to be absorbed by the rice.
While the rice is cooking, saute the remaining sage leaves in butter until crisp.
After 15 minutes, the rice will be nearly cooked. Stir in the cooked squash, the rest of the butter and the cheese. Continue cooking for three to five minutes. Taste for texture and consistency, adding a little more stock if needed. Adjust the seasoning. When done, serve in warm bowls and garnish with extra cheese and the sauted sage leaves.