Fresh and dry herbs - Affinities with meats and international cuisine

Angelica
Warm, musky flavour.

Basil
Depending on the variety, basil tastes of lemon, aniseed, thyme, jasmine or ginger. Sweet, warm, slightly-spicy flavour.
Perfume : veal, chicken, lamb, pork, horse meat, rabbit, all grilled meats and giblets.
Complements : Italian, Mediterranean and Thai recipes.

Bay leaf
Fragrant and spicy flavour.
Perfume : stews and marinades for meats, poultry or giblets more specifically hearts, fowl: pheasant, guinea fowl and braised quail.

Bouquet garni
A bouquet consisting of stalks of parsley, a branch of thyme, one or two bay leaves covered with leeks and wrapped in muslin. Occasionally, a branch of celery is also bundled into the bouquet.
Perfume : stews, horse meat, pheasant, and giblets such as lamb or veal brain. It is indispensable in osso bucco.

Chervil
Delicate flavour of licorice. An elegant substitute to parsley.
Perfume : horse meat, veal, rabbit, lamb, and meat stews.

Chive
Sweet flavour tasting slightly of onion and leek.
Perfume : rabbit stew.

Citronella
Long lemon-flavoured stalk-like reed used mainly in Asian recipes.

Coriander
Coriander leaves, also called Chinese parsley are very aromatic and peppery. Use as a substitute for parsley or chervil.

Coriander seeds must be soaked in cold water to release their full flavour. Seeds leave a slight lemon or orange zest aftertaste.

Crushed coriander root is used in slow-cooked stews and casseroles.
Perfume : sauces.
Complements : Indian, Mexican and Mid-Eastern recipes.

Dill
Delicate flavour of aniseed.
Perfume : chicken livers.

Fennel
Fennel leaves have a strong aniseed flavour. The feathery leaves look a lot like dill. 

Fennel seeds are very fragrant.
Perfume : stuffing and sauces

Fenugreek
Spicy flavour. There are fenugreek leaves and fenugreek powder which comes from a different variety. The two taste very different from one another.
Complements: Indian recipes.

Fines herbes
This is a blend of four fresh or dried, chopped herbs including parsley, chervil, chive, and tarragon.
Perfume : chicken, add in final minutes of cooking, and horse meat.

Herbes Provençales
This is a blend of thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary and savoury.
Perfume : pizzas, stews and grills.

Marjoram
Fragrant, sweet and slightly-spicy flavour. Wild marjoram is known as oregano.
Perfume : veal, liver, poultry, horse meat and pizza.
Complements :  Mediterranean and Italian recipes.

Melissa / lemon balm
Also called hives pepper, lemon herb, or tea of France. Do not confuse with lemon grass / citronella.
Perfume : fish, poultry, ham, fruit drinks, salads and mayonnaise.

Mint
Mint has a strong, fragrant, refreshingly cool flavour. Use in salty and sweet recipes. Of the many varieties, the most popular are peppermint and spearmint. 
Perfume : lamb, chicken and other meats.
Complements : Oriental recipes.

Oregano
Pronouced flavour, slightly peppery. Good complement to chicken, lamb, veal and pizza. Supplement to the Italian-flavored recipes.

Parsley
Parsley has a cool and slightly-spicy flavour. The leaves are used in salty recipes; the stalks are used in broths and stews.

Rosemary
Spicy and very fragrant aromatic flavour. 
Perfume : beef, horse meat, pork, meatloaf, lamb, game meats and poultry.
Complements : Mediterranean recipes.

Sage
Slightly-bitter flavour. Dried sage has a more pronounced flavour but is less bitter than fresh sage which shouldn’t be used in stuffings. 
Perfume : duck, goose and pork, giblets such as lamb, veal or chicken hearts as well as poultry stuffing, sausages and chicken.

Salty herbs
Blend of finely chopped parsley, spring onion, chive, parsnip, leek, savoury and celery; store in jars with coarse salt.

Savoury
Spicy, lemony flavour. Savoury and thyme do not combine well.
Perfume : chicken, stuffings and stews.

Tarragon
Aniseed and pepper flavour. Tarragon is often referred to as “serpentine” because of its long, narrow leaves shaped like reptile tongues. 
Perfume : veal, poultry, horse meat and Chinese fondue meats.

Thai basil
Spicier that other basil. For added punch, add hot and sweet peppers to chopped Thai basil leaves.

Thyme
The many varieties of thyme are all just as fragrant. Thyme and savoury do not combine well.
Perfume : roasts, stuffings, poultry, beef, horse meat, veal, ragouts and casseroles slow cooked in red wine, as well as with giblets, particularly hearts.