HOW TO MAKE BOUQUET GARNI or SACHET D'EPICES
Bouquet garni and sachet d'epices are simply small packages of very aromatic ingredients that are added to the dish for a while before the end of cooking. They release their flavors quickly, but the aromas are so volatile that they cannot be kept in the hot dish for too long time. The package format is simply to be able to efficiently remove them from the soup or dish when they have done their job. The packets used for bouquet garni are usually leek leaves, and sachet d'epices makes use of a cloth bag. How do we prepare these small and powerful packets?
Bouquet garni usually includes a sprig of thyme, a few parsley stalks, a bay leaf (these three being the classic composition) and a celery stalk that has been cut into thinner slices. Also garlic and crushed peppercorn may be used. All these ingredients are wrapped into a leek leaf and tied together with a piece of string. bouquet garni can now be used. A few points to remember: the ingredients need to be cleaned and rinsed as necessary, especially the leek leaf. The ingredients have to be prepared fresh, since the aromas are so volatile (this goes mainly for freshly sliced celery or parsley stems). Bouquet garni is used for different time periods, depending on the volume of the dish. You need to taste how much of the aroma has been released during the cooking to get the optimal flavor. A general rule (although not written in stone) is about 15 minutes for 4 liters/1 gallon of liquid. However, if you don't feel that enough flavor has been released, let it cook for a longer while. Remove it before the flavors get too intensive!
Sachet d'epices follows the same principle as bouquet garni when used in cooking, although it is made somehow differently. First, find a suitable cheesecloth bag that you can tie with a piece of string. Then, place some parsley stems, a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, and some cracked peppercorns on the cloth and tie it up. You can also add some other aromatic ingredients if you wish, e.g. a sliced garlic clove, a slice of carrot, or some other aromas like cinnamon or cardamom. It all depends on the flavor you attempt to create in your dish. Also make sure that the relative amount of each aromatic ingredient is balanced against the others.
Both bouquet garni and sachet d'epices are used to give the dish an extra aroma. They are indeed powerful and can turn a plain old recipe into a more delicious dish. They are also quick and simple to prepare, so the final result is achieved with minimal amount of work. If you see any professional chefs making dishes, look at how they flavor their dishes. Often, they use some or all ingredients of a bouquet garni or sachet d'epices. This is especially the case if more than three herbs are used. Usually, three or four herbs plus some extra spice or two will change the dish for the better, but they have to be balanced and suit the particular dish perfectly. That's the trick of professionalism. You need to know your herbs and spices intimately and know which ones are more intensive than others to be able to create your own superb bouquet garni. Some herbs are mild (basil, bay leaf, parsley, dill) while other herbs are intensive (garlic, sage, tarragon, thyme). The above recipes for bouquet garni are good starting points because the blend so good together, but you can start to experiment with your own creations if you wish! A good resource on how to create your own bouquet garni is here: