Herbs

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Herbs are a great way to add flavour, colour and interest to a dish. Like a lemon tree, I think every house should have a rosemary bush. Once established, you literally do nothing but reap the benefits of being able to spike a leg of lamb with it or roast your potatoes on. Mint is another herb I just let go crazy in my garden. When it eventually flowers, it attracts the bees and, in the meantime, I’ve always got an abundance of mint for everything from a mojito to mint jelly.

In the summer I have an abundance of more than just mint and rosemary and happily plenty of uses for the sage, thyme and basil that goes crazy. A great way to preserve these and create easy ways to capitalise on the flavour punch they provide is to make infused oils and butters.

HERB OIL This is ridiculously simple! Wash and dry the herb you want to use. Basil, rosemary and French tarragon are my favourite. Place the herb in a sterilised bottle and then fill with extra virgin olive oil, ensuring the oil covers the herbs completely. Leave for a week or two (in a cool dark place) for at least two weeks before using.

HERB BUTTER From garlic and chive to spreading on hot buns to basil, tarragon or thyme to melt over hot steaks, cobs of corn or baked potatoes—a knob of herb butter on hand is a handy thing. There is no need for a recipe, just mix your choice, or combination, of herbs with soft butter. Roll into a log between a sheet of grease proof paper before wrapping and refrigerating until ready to use.

HERB SALT This handy seasoning can be used on everything from steak or chicken to roast potatoes. Personalise it to your tastes with your own combination of herbs, just ensure they are the hardy variety; rosemary, thyme, sage and oregano are perfect.

½ cup coarse sea salt 2–3 garlic cloves, peeled ¼ cup packed fresh rosemary leaves ¼ cup packed fresh lemon thyme leaves

Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until the salt and herbs are a fine consistency.

Pour onto a baking tray and either place in the sun for a day to dry out or pop in the oven after you’re done cooking dinner and have turned it off.

Once dry, place in an airtight jar. GNOCCHI WITH SAGE BUTTER A classic way to enjoy beautiful sage is with a beurre noisette or burnt butter sauce. Served here with store bought gnocchi, you can of course make yours from scratch, but I am a fan of the Granoro Gnocchi (available from Vetro and La Cave). It’s shelf stable and makes a super quick meal any night of the week. Beurre noisette, which in French translates to hazelnut butter because of its rich, nutty flavour, also works well with spaghetti or pumpkin-filled ravioli.

500g Gnocchi 110g butter 20 large fresh sage leaves 1 small lemon salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Cook the ricotta gnocchi according to instructions. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has nearly melted, add in the sage leaves. Continue to cook for 2–3 minutes until the butter has turned a light brown colour and the sage leaves are crispy. Keep a very close eye on the butter. You need it to be beautiful and golden but not burnt—it’s a fine line! Remove pan from the heat. Add in the cooked (and drained) gnocchi, plus the zest and juice (about 1–2 tablespoons) of the lemon. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, garnished with a generous throw of Parmesan cheese.

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GREEN HARISSA PASTE Like a jar of pesto, having a jar of this vibrant green harissa paste in the fridge gives you a multitude of options. Marinade meat, fish and vegetables before baking; drizzle over roasted cauliflower; mix with yoghurt to make a dressing … 2 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 2 pickled jalapenos, seeded and chopped 1 spring onion, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove 1 cup Italian parsley 1 cup fresh coriander ¼ cup lemon juice 1 tsp salt ½ cup olive oil Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until they begin to pop. Place these and the remainder of ingredients, except the olive oil, in the blender and process. With the motor running, add the oil. You should end up with a smooth, vibrant green puree. Store in an airtight jar for around two weeks.

WHOLE BAKED FISH WITH GREEN HARISSA Take a whole fish that has been gutted and scaled, score it a couple of times then smear generously with the green harissa. Place on a baking tray and bake at 180°C until the flesh is just cooked. This will depend on the size of the fish. A 1.5kg snapper will take around 20–25 minutes.

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ROSEMARY SKEWERED BABY POTATOES

A little fiddly but an impressive way to serve new potatoes this BBQ season.

Baby potatoes Woody sprigs of rosemary Olive oil Salt & pepper

I used a thin metal straw to pierce a hole through each potato. Cut the rosemary into equal lengths and strip two thirds of the leaves off. Thread potatoes onto the rosemary sprigs. Once all the potatoes are threaded on, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Cook over low embers on the BBQ or bake in the oven for around 20 minutes, depending on how big the potatoes are.

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STRAWBERRY THYME CAKE

THE CAKE 350g butter, softened 2 cups sugar 6 eggs (size 7) 1 tsp vanilla extract 2½ cups flour 3 tsp baking powder 2 tsp thyme leaves

FOR THE SYRUP

½ cup sugar 6 thyme sprigs 2 chips strawberries 2 cups cream 1 cup yoghurt extra thyme for garnish

Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract then eggs one at a time, beating well between each. Fold in the flour, baking powder and thyme until just combined. Divide the batter between two greased 21cm round tins and then bake at 175°C for 25–35 minutes.

Make the syrup by bringing the sugar, thyme, and half a cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Let sit until cool (about 30 minutes). Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring cup and chill until ready to use.

Assemble the cake:

Brush the top of each cake with 2–3 tbsp syrup each.

Cut half the strawberries into quarters and toss with1 tbsp syrup in a medium bowl and let sit at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks. Whisk in the yoghurt and 2 tbsp syrup and whip to stiff peaks.

Place 1 cake on the serving plate, top with syrup-macerated strawberries and half of the whipped cream. Place second cake gently on the first. Top with remaining whipped cream. Chill to set, at least 1 hour. Just before serving, arrange remaining strawberries and extra thyme sprigs over cake.