What is a bouquet garni?

by Cookthink

It's a French term meaning a handful of herbs and/or aromatics bundled with kitchen twine or tied up in cheesecloth sachets, and used to season stocks, soups and stews. Like a bouquet of flowers, the arrangement of a bouquet garni is limited only by assembler's imagination. A common recipe may include bay leaves, sprigs of parsley and thyme. Whole peppercorns are often slipped in, and pasta sauces or Provençal lamb stew can be perfumed with fresh basil or rosemary-stem bouquet garnis, added at the very end of cooking, and allowed to steep. The herbs are bound so they do not scatter in the liquid while it simmers and boils, and may be removed easily before serving.