Recipes - Bouquet Garni

Garlic Consommé

Bring the stock, garlic, and bouquet garni to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and 
simmer covered for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine well.  
Strain the soup and discard the garlic and bouquet garni.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours 
and adjust the seasoning before serving.  Serves 4 to 6.
 

Marinated Beef: In a deep bowl, combine 1 clove garlic, crushed peppercorns, allspice, 1 tsp salt, and wine. Stir to dissolve salt. Add beef cubes, pressing cubes down into marinade to immerse as much as possible. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Remove beef and garlic from marinade with a slotted spoon, reserving marinade. Pat beef and garlic dry on paper towels. In a 6 quart non-reactive oven-going pot, heat olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. Add meat in 2 batches, searing meat on all sides until deep brown. Return all meat to pot. Pour in reserved marinade and beef bouillon. Add bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Layer carrots, onions and mushrooms atop meat mixture in casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 1/2 hours until meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bouquet garni. Stir in frozen peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cover and bake 4-5 minutes until peas are cooked. Spoon stew and cooking juices into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Bean Soup

• 1 cup navy or pea beans
• 1 quart warm water
• 1 1/4 tsp. Backyard Patch Garlic and Herb Combination Herb Mix
• 1 Tbls. minced onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 c diced carrots
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 2 Tbls. tomato paste
• 1 Backyard Patch Bouquet Garni Herb Bag (any flavor)
• 1 quart milk

Wash and pick over beans, discard damaged or discolored.  In large skillet, place beans and water and simmer for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients, except milk, in order given.  Continue cooking until beans are tender.  Remove Bouquet Garni.  Mash beans with a potato masher.  With beans in the pan, add milk and heat just to simmering.  Best served at once.

Beef Bourguignon 

• 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 slices bacon, cut up
• 2 lb. boneless beef, cut in 2" cubes
• 2 Tbls. flour
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbls. tomato paste
• 1 1/4 cup red cooking wine
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 2 Tbls. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 lb. small white onions
• 1 Backyard Patch Bouquet Garni Herb packet (any flavor)

In large pot, sauté mushrooms in butter.  Remove mushrooms and set aside.  Fry bacon until crisp.  Remove and set aside. Add meat to drippings and brown well.  Blend in flour.  Add garlic, tomato paste, wine, bouillon and seasonings.  Add Bouquet Garni Herb Bag, cover and simmer 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add onions, mushrooms and bacon; simmer 1 hour longer.  Add additional wine if liquid has evaporated.  Remove Bouquet Garni before serving over rice. 

Citrus Marinaded Olives (Serves 4 to 6)

• 2 cups olives, such as Castelvetrano, Cerignola and Kalamata
• 1/2 tangerine, sliced and cut into quarters
• 4 strips lemon zest 
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 to 2 Bouquet Garni Packets (any flavor)
• 1 clove garlic, smashed 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 

This recipe originally appeared on Giada's Holiday Handbook. Episode: Christmas Cocktails.

Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Blanch the olives for about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove the olives to a medium bowl. Toss with the tangerine pieces and lemon zest.

In a small skillet, combine the olive oil, contents of Bouquet Garni packets, garlic and red pepper flakes. Warm gently over medium heat until small bubbles form around the herbs and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently until the garlic is beginning to brown and the bubbles start to subside, about 7 minutes. Pour the hot oil over the olive mixture and toss well to coat.

Allow the olives to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days; warm gently before serving.