These unusual herbs add a range of flavors to your cooking, from delicate to exotic
Written bySunsetMarch 14, 2013
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Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
1 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with lovage
Imagine celery combined with parsley and a little black pepper, and you've got the flavor of lovage. It's not widely cultivated, so you may need to grow your own or encourage a farmer at the market to grow some for you.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
2 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
Lovage and Lettuce Soup
Lovage has such a distinct flavor that it does well when tamed by gentler ingredients—like the lettuce, cream, white rice, and leeks in this soup. Use young, glossy leaves; when lovage is too mature, it gets bitter and overpowering.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
3 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with chervil
One of the most delicate-textured herbs, chervil has a subtle anise-like flavor that's especially good with mildly flavored vegetables and fish.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
4 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
Roasted Halibut with Chervil Sauce
The gentle licorice-like flavor of chervil leads the swirl of spring flavors in this refined dish fit for a party. It’s fast and easy—just be sure not to overcook the halibut.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
6 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with lemon verbena
Highly aromatic lemon verbena feels almost sticky due to the oils in the leaves that are responsible for its fragrance and pungent lemony flavor. Steep, then strain the leaves to extract their flavor in soups and ice cream bases.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey
7 of 17Photo by Annabelle Breakey
Lemon Verbena Ice Cream
Lemon verbena leaves are very fragrant and make excellent crème brûlée and ice cream. Verbena (as it's most often called) isn't widely available in markets, but it's easy to grow. If you don't happen to have some handy, you can use another aromatic herb such as mint or tarragon.
Sweet, tangy, and a little bit spicy, pineapple soup is a traditional meal in Southeast Asia. If you don't have lemon verbena growing in your garden, you could substitute other aromatic Asian herbs such as Thai basil or fresh cilantro.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
9 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with marjoram
Closely related to oregano, marjoram tastes similar, but sweeter and more subtle. It's a natural with Italian-style pasta dishes and meats.
Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Amy Machnak
10 of 17Photo by Iain Bagwell; written by Amy Machnak
Lamb Shoulder Roast with Roasted Garlic Sauce
The lamb is great, but it’s the toasty garlic sauce that gets drizzled over the top that makes this dish a winner. If you like lamb, but you love garlic, then this is the recipe for you.
Instead of loading pasta shells with lots of cheese, use less and combine it with delicate ribbons of fresh vegetables. A mandoline will give you the most delicate veggie ribbons, but you can also use a vegetable peeler.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
12 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with shiso
Also known as perilla, shiso has hints of basil, cinnamon, and anise that pair well with Japanese seasonings and with the mild, buttery flavor of avocados.
Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
13 of 17Photo by Thomas J. Story; written by Julie Chai
Avocado, Grapefruit, and Shiso Salad
The warm anise flavor of shiso, encouraged by the licoricey fennel, comes through clearly in this pretty salad. You can use either red or green shiso (red is slightly stronger in flavor) or a combination.
Photo by Annabelle Breakey; written by Elaine Johnson
15 of 17Photo by Annabelle Breakey; written by Elaine Johnson
Cooking with Thai basil
One of the most important ingredients in Southeast Asian cooking, Thai basil gives a pungent licorice-like aroma and zing to soups, noodle dishes, meats, and seafood.
Photo by Alex Farnum
16 of 17Photo by Alex Farnum
Cracked Crab with Lemongrass, Black Pepper, and Thai Basil
Big, bold Southeast Asian flavors team up in a perfect balance of salty, sweet, hot, and aromatic.