Tying a Bouquet Garni

A bouquet garni is a bundle of herbs that flavors a stock, soup or braise and comes out in one piece. Wrap a few parsley stems, three sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf inside a leek leaf or a piece of celery, and tie it tightly with kitchen twine. Leave a long tail you can tie to the pot handle, so it's easy to fish out. For loose spices like peppercorns and cloves, tie them in a square of cheesecloth. Pull it out before you reduce the sauce, or the bay leaf turns bitter.