French kitchen spices evoke images of a chef in a Parisian kitchen casually concocting a spice mixture, fields of lavender and herbs in Provence and the coast of France, the sea air thick with briny flavor. It sounds like romantic fantasy, but French kitchen spices really do have sweet lavender, classic herbs, the taste of the sea and effortless flavor.
Herbes de Provence
Herbes de Provence is a dried mixture of lavender, savory, thyme, marjoram, oregano and sometimes other herbs, often sold in jars as souvenirs from the French region of Provence. Herbes de Provence is considered the premier example of the herbs and spices Provence is known for, particularly lavender which grows there in abundance.
Some dishes that go well with herbes de Provence are summer vegetable stews with zucchini and tomatoes, or strong-flavored, meaty lamb or beef dishes that can hold up to lavender's flavor. This spice mix also makes a good rub for grilling or roasting.
Quatre Epice
A simple mix of dried spices, quatre epice or literally "four spices" is often a mix of white pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. The French cook's secret is that quatre epice may in fact contain a fifth spice, or a different mix of four spices, so quatre epice is generally the "house mix" of French spices.
The French use quatre epice's peppery flavor for both savory and sweet dishes. On the savory side, it works well for seasoning sausages, terrines and game meats. But it is equally good in sweet dishes like puddings and cakes.
Fleur de Sel
A trained chef does not consider a dish properly seasoned without salt. However, the epitome of salt is the French "Fleur de Sel," a cultivated sea salt from salt beds south of Brittany. According to Chef James Peterson, author of "Glorious French Food," fleur de sel has a milder taste and seems more delicate than regular salt.
The "fleur" in fleur de sel means "flower" which describes the shape the salt develops after the seawater evaporates from the salt beds. Local women carefully rake fleur de sel on summer evenings, so it is a rare---and expensive---salt. Use fleur de sel as a finishing salt on meat or as a delicate, but surprisingly delicious, garnish on chocolate or caramel candies.
Bouquet Garni
An assumed requirement in any simmered recipe in a French kitchen, the bouquet garni, literally the "garnish bouquet," is a bundle of herbs and aromatic vegetables tied together to flavor soup or stews. Every trained professional chef uses bouquet garni. According to the Culinary Institute of America's,"The Professional Chef," the bouquet garni is a basic aromatic preparation called for again and again.
A standard includes a sprig of thyme, a bay leaf, 3 or 4 parsley stems, two to three leek leaves, and one celery stalk, cut crosswise in half. Make a bouquet garni by placing the herbs inside the celery and leek, then wrapping with twine, or place everything inside a piece of cheesecloth and tie closed.
Tags: bouquet garni, Herbes Provence, dishes that, four spices, French kitchen