Bouquet Garni, Variations

The Bouquet Garni is a bundle of herbs tied together with string or stem used to prepare soup, stock, and various stews. The bouquet is boiled with the other ingredients, but is removed prior to consumption. Most Bouquet Garni recipes include parsley, thyme and bay leaf.

Variations will also may include basil, burnet, chervil, rosemary, savory and tarragon.

Sometimes vegetables such as carrot, celery (leaves or stem), celeriac, leek, onion and parsley root are also included in the bouquet, but in general those work best as mirepoix and are "sweated" with oil or butter beforehand and added along with the bouquet to the stock. Spices such as peppercorn are added in this manner, too.

Bunch together fresh herbs into a bouquet and tie together with twine or with a maleable herb stem:
 
Bouquet Garni, 1st variation:
2 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs parsley

A minimalist version, the 1st variation works well with light fish stocks.

Bouquet Garni, 2nd variation:
2 celery stalk greens or italian parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley

The celery and/or italian parsley works well to bring out the flavors of chicken and fish.

Bouquet Garni , 3rd variation:
2 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

This third variation robust. It works well with beef, pork, game or chicken stock.

Bouquet Garni, 4th variation:

1 sprig sage
3 sprigs parsley
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

The sage in this bouquet variation adds a nice touch.