Whether you’re barbecuing, roasting, casseroling or cooking poultry in a crock, herbs can greatly enhance the flavour. They can be chopped and mixed with salt and rubbed into or under the skin. Handfuls can also be put into the cavity of the bird. Alternatively, chop and add them to a barbecue marinade.
French tarragon has a zingy, aniseed flavour and helps us digest the rich sauces often used with chicken. Bay, sage and parsley are the traditional herbs for stuffing mixes, and Greek sage has a spicy, warm flavour. Lemon thyme is also a favourite for poultry – add a handful to the cavity with half an onion, cook and let the aromas fill your kitchen.
Stand the pot in partial shade and feed weekly with seaweed extract, until early autumn. Deadhead the sage after flowering to promote new growth, which you can use over winter.
You will need
- Peat-free compost
- Broken crock
You Will Need
- Bay, Laurus nobilis
- Flat-leaf parsley, Petroselinum crispum
- French tarragon, Artemisia dracunculus
- Greek sage, Salvia officinalis 'Greek' (2)
- Lemon thyme, Thymus citriodorus (3)
- 30cm terracotta pot
- Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
- Crocks
Total time:
Step 1
Place a piece of broken crock over the hole in the base of the pot to maintain good drainage. Add peat-free compost until the container is about two-thirds full.
Step 2
Knock out each herb plant from its pot and arrange in the container.
Step 3
Once all the plants are in place, fill between the roots with compost. You can use an empty pot as a scoop, which will give you a free hand to hold the leaves out of the way.
Step 4
Once you’re happy with the look of your arrangement, water in the plants to settle compost around the roots. Remove the rose from the watering can and gently water around the plants, not over them. If any gaps appear between the roots of the plants, simply add a little more compost, then water again.
Kevin Smith says…
Water this container regularly to make sure the compost doesn’t dry out – once a day in very hot conditions. However, don’t go overboard as saturated compost can do just as much harm as a growing medium that’s too dry.
