Bouquets Garnis

I turned to the chapter in La Varenne on meat, which is prefaced with instructions for cooking meat in a liquid. He describes the bouquet garni that should be added to the pan – a small bunch of parsley, a scallion, and thyme, tied together.

Later authorities offer many variations on this version. A bay leaf might be added, the scallion is often replaced with a piece of leek. In the regional cooking of Provence, it is customary to add a strip of orange zest to a bouquet garni for beef. In Gascony a sprig of hyssop is added to the bouquet garni for tomatoes. In some areas of the South of France a clove of garlic might also be included.