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Bouquet garni

A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs tied together and added during the cooking stage of a dish to add flavor. It is used mainly in soups and stocks and is always removed before cooking (the reason it is tied together is to ensure it can easily be removed).

Traditionally a bouquet garni contains parsley, thyme and bay leaves. However there is no 'classical' recipe and extra ingredients are usually added. Popular additions include peppercorns, chervil, rosemary and tarragon. Some recipes will include additions such as carrot, onion, celery and leek. The key is to have flavors that will enhance what you are cooking.

Sometimes a bouquet garni will be tied in muslin to ensure no part of the mixtures fall into the dish while cooking and to make it easier to remove.