Dill, parsley, basil: how to prepare different greens correctly
If you are adding fresh herbs to your dishes, make sure you prepare them properly. Of course, you can take a large knife and finely chop the greens to the desired size. But you run the risk of crumpling the greens or throwing out the perfectly edible and healthy parts, the "tops and roots". So here's a guide to slicing greens.
You can't properly chop greens until they've been washed and completely dried. This is very important. Even slightly wet greens turn into a mess when you chop them. Fill a bowl with cold water and gently dip the bunch into the water. Any dirt will settle to the bottom and the greens will float. Take it out, place it in a special drying rack for the greens, or shake it gently. Almost done.
But not quite. Even after spinning in the dryer or shaking by hand, there is still moisture on the fresh herbs. Spread them out on a paper towel or clean absorbent kitchen towel and leave them to dry completely. (It's best to rinse and dry the herbs as soon as you get home).
Now let's move on to chopping the greens.
Parsley, dill, and cilantro
In addition to the leaves, use the top thin part of the stem: it too is edible and extremely tasty. The bottom hard part of the stems simply chop off and discard. Tip: If you don't use the stems, freeze them. You can use them to make vegetable stock, for example.
Mint, basil and sage
Pick the leaves from the stems and carefully tear them into bite-sized pieces (this avoids the dark spots that occur when slicing with a knife). Or thinly slice the leaves into strips: put them together, roll them into a narrow bundle and slice crosswise with a sharp knife.
Thyme, rosemary and oregano
Take one sprig from the top, with two fingers of your other hand around the stem and swipe quickly down the stem to remove all the leaves. Gather them together and chop them to the desired size. Thyme leaves are usually very small and do not need to be chopped at all.
Shallots
If you simply chop the onions, they become soft and mushy. To keep nice rings, cut exactly perpendicular to the length of the stem. A knife will do the job, but kitchen shears work best.
