Herbes de Provence is a traditional mix of dried herbs that originated in the Provence region of southeastern France. The blend reflects the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine, characterized by earthy, floral, and slightly woody notes. While the recipe can vary from cook to cook, common ingredients include:
- Thyme: Earthy and slightly minty, serves as a robust base.
- Rosemary: Woody and pine-like, adds depth.
- Oregano: A peppery, slightly bitter herb that enhances complexity.
- Basil: Sweet and aromatic, bringing balance to the blend.
- Marjoram: Mild and floral, with hints of citrus.
- Savory: Peppery and pungent, offering a unique sharpness.
- Lavender : Adds a floral and aromatic note, particularly in commercial blends.
Many sources claim that lavender is optional in Herbes de Provence. To me, lavender is the whole point.
I love lavender’s flavour profile and the gorgeous pop of color it brings to the predominantly green mixture.
I rarely use herb blends, preferring to control the quantity of each herb I’m using rather than a willy nilly amount. Herbes de Provence is my exception. Used in combination with Dijon mustard, it is fantastic slathered on all manner of poultry, pork, beef and game before braising or roasting.
Often times commercial dried herbs are less than flavourful due to drying processes and shelf life. This past summer, I grew everything necessary to make my own Herbes de Provence including the lavender to ensure I would have the freshest and most flavourful herbs possible. The result is stunning. If you don’t have an herb garden, you can buy a few bunches each of fresh herbs from the supermarket to dry. You will likely have to purchase the dried lavender. Be sure it has good color.
In addition to the classic combination of thyme, rosemary, summer savoury, basil, oregano and lavender, I added fennel seeds.
These sweet little jars will be part of my hostess gifts over the holidays.
Herbes de Provence is fantastic added to soups, stews, roasted veggies, egg dishes, mixed into bread dough, sprinkled over pizza…
I use an equal amount of each herb to create the flavour I want. The beautiful thing is there are no rules. Experiment until you find your own favourite combination.
Make sure your jars and lids are bone dry. Any moisture at all will spoil the batch.
Thanks for reading.
