A Love of Thyme

Thyme is a herb I use in a lot of my cooking. It features in a lot of Sicilian, Italian and Greek dishes. It holds up very well when used in slow cooker or casserole dishes.

Garden thyme is a bush with gray-green leaves on a thin, woody stem and is a member of the mint family.

It is a herb that can be used both fresh and dried, whole or ground. It has a strong, sometimes pungent but has a pleasant flavor, resembling a blend of cloves and sage with mint notes.

Most common variety for cooking is English thyme. Other varieties include lemon thyme and caraway thyme. It has a subtle pine and lemon and spice flavor. It is versatile and widely complementary, but can overwhelm delicate foods. Use liberally but carefully. Thyme also combines well with rosemary, basil, and garlic.

Thyme is native to the Mediterranean, which makes it a popular ingredient in Italian and Greek cooking.  In the Mediterranean basin, it grows wild on the "hot, arid hillsides where it has infinitely more flavor than it ever achieves in cooler regions. 

I always have some dried thyme in my spice rack but at the end of the day, fresh is best.

Cooking with Thyme is a little different that many others herbs. The leaves should be taken off their stalks. They can add a woody or stringy element to a dish that’s un-needed. It should be chopped finely and added early in the cooking to get rid of the strong bitter flavour of the fresh leaf that it can develop.

It's wonderful in poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes and in slow cooked stews and soups. Its flavor blends well with many other herbs. Chopped fresh leaves are much more pungent than dried.

Thyme can be used with nearly all the meats, including seafood and shellfish. It can also be used to flavour egg dishes, casseroles and soups.

If you are lucky enough to be able to grow your own, Keep in mind that thyme leaves are sweetest if picked just as the flowers appear.

When cooking with thyme, be aware that one fresh sprig equals the flavoring power of one-half teaspoon of dried thyme.

It is preferable to strip the leaves from the stems for your recipes when using either dry or fresh thyme because sometimes the stems can be woody. This is easily accomplished by placing the stem between the tines of a fork and pulling the stem in the opposite direction of the leaf growth. Of course, you can also use your fingers instead of a fork.

Some Uses

Add whole sprigs or chopped leaves at any stage of cooking. Thyme is a uniquely adaptable herb for meats, seafood, and summer and winter vegetables. Use springs in bouquet garni to fully flavor stocks, sauces and soups.

Add sprigs to slow-roasted tomatoes, braises, and pasta sauces to add depth. Infuse sprigs in poaching liquids for fruit desserts and in cream for caramel sauce.

Rub chopped leaves (fresh or dried) into beef, lamb, veal, or pork before roasting. Sprinkle over eggs, cheese dishes, vegetables, fish, or poultry. Add to soups, stews, stuffings, and rice. Brew into tea with a little rosemary and mint.

Lemon thyme can be used in cooking in much the same way as common thyme. The flavor is less pungent and distinctly lemony. It is particularly tasty in stuffing for veal and poultry. Mix chopped leaves into custards, puddings, and whipped-cream toppings. Sprinkle lightly over fresh strawberries and other acidic fruits.

Whether you grow them yourself or purchase them, herbs are the best, most healthy way to season your food. Farmers markets are a great place to get fresh and dried herbs.

Mixing and Storing Herbs and Spices

Mixing and Storing Herbs and Spices

Dried herbs are stronger in flavour than fresh leaf herbs. To convert dry to fresh measurements, use approximately 3 tablespoons fresh to each tablespoon dry. In most cases use 1/3 to ¼ the amount of dried herbs as is called for fresh. In general ¼ teaspoon of spice is enough for 4 servings.

Mixing Herbs - when seasoning with herbs and spices try to complement your dish by not overwhelming the flavour of the food. Cooking spices for too long may result in overly strong flavours.

For long-cooking dishes, such as soups and stews add herbs and spices an hour or less before serving. For best results try crushing the herbs before adding to your dish. For shorter cooking-dishes try adding dry spices earlier in cooking. Fresh spices and herbs should be added towards the end of cooking.

Unless the recipe specifically calls for it, don't use more than three herbs and spices in any one dish. The exception to this rule is East Indian cooking, which often calls for 10 or more different spices in one curry dish.

Try replacing herbs and spices called for in recipes with something different - such as Marjoram instead of Oregano, Savory instead of Thyme, Coriander (Cilantro) instead of Parsley, Anise seed instead of Fennel. Mixing herbs and spices will provide you with greater creativity in food preparation by allowing you to create a variety of exciting and uniquely seasoned dishes. You may just create a recipe that will be one of a kind, beloved by everyone. 

Storing Herbs - store spices in a cool, dark, dry place. Heat, humidity, and excessive light will result in the dry herbs and spices losing their flavour more quickly. A good way to store herbs and spices is in small, airtight glass containers. If stored properly, dried herbs and ground spices will retain their flavour for a year. Whole spices may last for 3 to 5 years. To keep larger quantities of herbs and spices fresh, store them in tightly sealed containers in the freezer.

Do not store dry herbs and spices near any humid source, such as sinks, dishwashers, kettles, coffee makers, on counter tops, stoves or microwaves. Avoid storing dry herbs and spices inside the refrigerator due to the high humid environment. Avoid storing near heat sources such as stoves, top of microwaves and refrigerators. For best results grind whole spices in a grinder or mortar & pestle. If you want to enhance the whole spice flavour, try roasting the whole spice in a dry skillet over a medium heat, being careful not to burn them.

Drying Herbs - try drying herbs on racks, slats or upside down by their stems. For best drying, place your herbs in a well ventilated, dry, cool environment. Ensure that you have plenty of air space and turn every few days. Another alternative to drying is using the microwave by laying the herbs out on absorbent paper and cooking on low for 3 minutes. A dehydrator is also another excellent option.

Harvesting Herbs - the best time to pick the leaves or flower buds is when they start to unfurl. Try to harvest your herbs early in the day and before noon at the latest, as the herbs are most potent then. Seeds must be collected when they turn brown and brittle. Never pick herbs in wet or humid conditions.

Clarified Butter

I often use Clarified butter or Ghee when I am cooking as it imparts a rich flavour into a dish. A good quality Clarified butter can add to the aroma, flavor and taste to the food. However, the texture, color and taste of ghee depends on the source of the milk from which the butter was made and the extent of boiling during the making of it.

More specifically, by melting butter, a cook can see that it separates into clear golden liquid and a thick liquid which settles to the bottom. The thick liquid is composed of milk solids, a protein rich solution that burns easily over high heat. So, once the milk solids are separated and removed, the remaining butter can be cooked on a very high heat without burning.

Smoking Point

Butter has a smoking point of between 121–149°C while Clarified butter or Ghee has a smoke point of 252°C. As you can see there is qiite a bit of difference between the two. (Source http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_point) A chart that details various smoking points is available at this link.

You will see when you compare the different smoking points of various oils  Clarified butter is up there with Rice Bran Oil.

Making Clarifying Butter

Clarifying butter is very easy to make. Slice a 500g block of butter into small pieces. Heat the butter slices in a heavy saucepan over low heat until it crackles and bubbles. Remove the pan from the heat and use a spoon to carefully skim off the fat foam that has risen to the top. Pour or spoon the clear liquid into a container, leaving the thicker milky stuff at the bottom. Discard the white residue. Tightly cover the liquid and refrigerate or freeze. It can be easily be stored either way for months.

Clarified butter also tastes much richer than regular butter; you’ll notice that dishes made with ghee are often more flavorful and less greasy than those made with traditional vegetable oil or even butter. Chefs often used clarified butter instead of regular oil or butter because it does not burn during frying, and also intensifies the flavor of the dish.  Since it does not contain any hydrogenated oils and fats, Clarified may be a much healthier choice for those who don’t want to eliminate fat from their diet entirely.

Some benefits

Clarified butter is commonly preferred over processed margarine and butter because of its many health benefits.  Some of the key benefits of Clarified butter include:

·         Good for people who are lactose intolerant

·         Can help relieve ulcers

·         Can improve conditions of constipation

·         Helps promote healthy eyes and skin

·         Can be used as a topical treatment for blisters, burns and cuts

·         Reduces inflammation, internally and externally

·         Helps improve the texture of the hair

·         May help to inhibit cancerous tumors because of its anti-viral properties

Ultimately, Clarified butter is a highly concentrated form of fat that contains many important fatty acid chains.  These have several benefits for healing and tissue repair, and these fatty acids may also help with the absorption of other vitamins and minerals found in everyday foods. 

It’s important to remember that clarified butter still contains a significant amount of saturated fat.  Moderation is essential when consuming Clarified butter and other types of fats, especially if your family has a history of heart disease.


Posted by Jimmy Boswell - New Zealand Gluten Free Chef

Shared Grill/BBQ Plates – Cross Contamination Potential

The following are some points to consider that will help you have a Gluten free summer by minimizing cross contamination potential from a shared grill/BBQ plate.

What to do;

Try to grill/BBQ the gluten-free foods first, when the grates are clean, or else reserve a section of the grates just for the gluten-free food (be sure nothing with gluten drips onto it).

If these steps are not possible, grill/BBQ the gluten-free food on aluminum foil or in packets that will keep it off the grill/BBQ surface. I use a double layer of foil as a precaution.

Avoid other sources of cross-contamination.

Make sure separate sets of utensils/bowls etc are used for gluten-free food preparation and cooking. In particular, be careful that utensils used to handle gluten free food on the grill/BBQ are not also used on food that been marinated or coated with gluten containing sauces. Also, be sure the BBQ hosts understand how to protect gluten free food from cross-contamination.

Other Possible ways of Cross Contamination

When you are attending a BBQ, picnic or any other social event where there is both Gluten free and non Gluten free foods being served you have to watch out for cross contamination in communal foods such as dips, spreadable condiments, butter and anything else that could have had a Gluten contaminated utensil used in it. Never double dip! Butter dishes, jelly jars, and salsa at a BBQ are some examples of the types of places you’ll find potential gluten cross-contamination.

Gluten can often be found on cooking utensils, pots and pans, counter tops and more. Even cleaning cloths can spread gluten all over the place.

When I go to a sheared BBQ or picnic I always take my own condiments and keep then separate. I also label them in a bold colour that they are gluten free.

If possible try to have your gluten free food on a table separate from the non Gluten free food. It will protect the serving utensils and food from being cross contaminated.

If that isn’t possible, be sure to serve yourself and your family first before the other guests are served. Some people may not understand utensils used across dishes can be hazardous to anyone who is gluten-free.

For more information about living Gluten free recipes and living visit my Facebook page