Herbes de Provence (homemade blend)

Herbs of the hills

Walk in the hills above Nice or anywhere in the Provençal garrigue in early summer and you smell the ingredients of this blend before you see them: wild thyme, savory, rosemary and oregano growing between the rocks, dried by the sun almost on the stem. For generations cooks simply picked what grew nearby, hung it to dry and crumbled it into their dishes.

The name “herbes de Provence” for a ready-made mixture is much more recent. It seems to have spread mainly in the second half of the twentieth century, as producers began selling the blend in jars and small clay pots, often to visitors and for export. There has never been a single fixed recipe, and every brand and every family has its own balance.

The core and the extras

The traditional heart of the blend is short: thyme, savory, rosemary and oregano or marjoram. These are hardy Mediterranean herbs that keep their aroma well when dried. Basil, parsley, chervil, tarragon, fennel seed, bay and sage can round it out, as in our recipe, but they are extras, not essentials. Keep the core herbs dominant and add the others in small amounts.

Lavender is the ingredient that divides people. It is now associated with Provence all over the world, and many commercial blends contain it, but it seems to be a fairly late addition, adopted mostly by the trade rather than by home cooks. A little gives a floral note that works with lamb and roast chicken; too much makes everything taste of soap. There is also a Label Rouge for herbes de Provence, whose specification, as far as we know, is built around the classic herbs and leaves lavender out.

Choosing and storing

Buy dried herbs from a shop with a high turnover, or dry your own at the start of summer, before the plants flower, when their aroma is strongest. Dried herbs should still be green and fragrant when rubbed; if they are grey and smell of dust, replace them. Store the blend in a small airtight jar, away from the stove and sunlight, and make fresh batches rather than one large one.

How to use it

Herbes de Provence are at home in slow-cooked tomato sauces, ratatouille, bean and vegetable soups, marinades for grilled meat and fish, and roast potatoes. A pinch goes into the stuffing of Niçoise stuffed vegetables, and a sprig of the same herbs, fresh, flavours many country soups such as the sage-scented aiga boulida. They are also a good seasoning for olive oil to dip bread in, or to brush on a fish before grilling, then served with a spoonful of rouille.