View Poll Results: Which of the following do you consider to be a sprig of thyme?
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Left
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0 |
0% |
Center
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3 |
27.27% |
Right
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5 |
45.45% |
Other
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3 |
27.27% |
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09-11-2019, 01:22 PM
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#1
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southeastern Virginia
Posts: 25,341
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What is a sprig of thyme?
I often see recipes that include sprigs of various fresh herbs as a measurement. Curious what you consider to be a sprig. Which one and why?
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Anyplace where people argue about food is a good place.
~ Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, 2018
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09-11-2019, 01:45 PM
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#2
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Certified Pretend Chef
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 47,710
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Not sure how to describe "why" that's just my guess and I could be wrong. (I know, not likely)
OK, I just googled it and the consensus seems to be the center one.
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09-11-2019, 01:48 PM
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#3
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Certifiable Executive Chef
Site Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 3,870
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I think a sprig is pretty small - about 2-3 inches. In your pic that one on the right would be closest...
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09-11-2019, 01:52 PM
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#4
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: south central coast/California
Posts: 14,766
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Hmm, I've seen that "sprig of Thyme" in recipes, and it is a guessing game isn't it. I guess a lot depends on the volume of the rest of the recipe.
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09-11-2019, 02:57 PM
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#5
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: near Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 25,418
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayelle
Hmm, I've seen that "sprig of Thyme" in recipes, and it is a guessing game isn't it. I guess a lot depends on the volume of the rest of the recipe.
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That's how I think of it. It could also vary a bit depending on how strongly you want to taste the thyme.
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09-11-2019, 03:06 PM
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#6
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Head Chef
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Woodbury, NJ
Posts: 2,285
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I've often wondered about the use of those vague terms, too. I'd say about the size of the center one, but only guessing, and with each author it may be different.
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Dave
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09-11-2019, 03:24 PM
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#7
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: near Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 25,418
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I have always assumed that the precise amount wasn't all that important or the author would specify more exactly.
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May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live.
Robert A. Heinlein
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09-11-2019, 03:30 PM
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#8
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: south central coast/California
Posts: 14,766
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True dat ^. Yet another reason I'm not a baker.  I'm hardly ever precice.
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but rather by the moments that take our breath away.
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09-11-2019, 03:51 PM
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#9
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Executive Chef
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Long Island, New York
Posts: 3,964
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I went with the center one.
Im also not the most precise person when cooking, yet Im a stickler for accuracy ( kind of ironic). I hate vague terms. I also dont like when you watch a cooking show, and they say ' if you dont have this ingredient , you can throw in this , that or the other thing ...). And , the one other thing that drives me crazy is when they cover up the actual brand of whatever they may be using. When I am follwing a recipe, I like to be as accurate to the source the first time around. After that , I make my tweets.
Obviously I have issues lol
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09-11-2019, 10:47 PM
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#10
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: California
Posts: 10,088
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Middle to right, depending upon the volume I'm making. I use thyme most often when I'm making chicken salad for sandwiches.
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09-12-2019, 08:08 AM
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#11
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Senior Cook
Join Date: May 2019
Location: edinburgh
Posts: 121
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I used it in salads. Just sprinkle its dried leaves on the salad.
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09-12-2019, 08:25 AM
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#12
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Senior Cook
Join Date: Jun 2019
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 457
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I voted the right image.
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09-12-2019, 09:04 AM
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#13
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southeastern Virginia
Posts: 25,341
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This is the dish that inspired my question. The recipe says to put a sprig of thyme under each chicken leg quarter. I cut several bunches of stems similar to the one on the left from my garden and scattered them on top of the corn. As it roasts, the chicken drippings run over the thyme and flavor the corn and the leaves pretty much fall off.
For experienced cooks, you can make a judgment call, but new cooks are often afraid to do that.
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Anyplace where people argue about food is a good place.
~ Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, 2018
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09-12-2019, 09:53 AM
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#14
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Rural Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 13,466
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Depends on how much you like thyme. I generally consider it to be the middle one.
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09-12-2019, 10:41 AM
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#15
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Executive Chef
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Montreal
Posts: 4,731
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I don't think there can be a right or wrong answer. It would depend entirely on the dish being cooked.
GG for under the leg & thigh of the chicken to flavour the corn I think you chose correctly.
If you were baking/roasting in the oven and were to place it on top of the chicken leg/thigh/breast I would choose the middle. (I like thyme)
For single pieces, as in a leg or a thigh I would choose the single sprig.
I would also choose a single sprig with a soft green stem (or even a half or pinched top) to serve fresh on top of the meat for the individual dishes on their way to the table if there already is thyme incorporated while cooking but not seen.
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09-12-2019, 02:55 PM
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#16
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Senior Cook
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Posts: 431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taxlady
I have always assumed that the precise amount wasn't all that important or the author would specify more exactly.
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I've always gone with this type of thinking.
Unless you use a large bunch of a fresh herb, like 2 or 3 or more times the amount shown in # 1, the flavor imparted by # I or # 2 (amounts) will likely be very subtle.
I think if you use the # 3 quantity, you might not even be able to tell that you added it.
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Regards,
Paul
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09-12-2019, 10:13 PM
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#17
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Executive Chef
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Montana
Posts: 2,776
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One stem...
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09-12-2019, 10:33 PM
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#18
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: near Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 25,418
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Quote:
Originally Posted by salt and pepper
One stem...
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But how long and how many branches?
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May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live.
Robert A. Heinlein
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09-12-2019, 11:22 PM
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#19
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Chef Extraordinaire
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southeastern Virginia
Posts: 25,341
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Quote:
Originally Posted by salt and pepper
One stem...
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Is that the one on the right in the picture?
__________________
Anyplace where people argue about food is a good place.
~ Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, 2018
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09-13-2019, 12:00 AM
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#20
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Master Chef
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Dallas
Posts: 5,654
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If I leave the thyme leaves on the stems, it is because I plan to pull them out at the end of the cook. So, I don't know what a "sprig" is, precisely. Not sure how much it matters between one stem and three stems.
If a recipe is calling for just the leaves, it will usually give teaspoons or tablespoons as a measure.
CD
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