Loading…

From a wedding cook, dried oregano held up better than fresh on my apps | Chefs - Vivisector

From a wedding cook, dried oregano held up better than fresh on my apps

I hear all the time that only fresh herbs should touch a finished plate. But during a recent wedding job, I used dried oregano on my crostini instead of fresh. The fresh basil I first tried wilted fast under the heat lamps, looking sad in minutes. The dried oregano stayed bright and kept its texture through the whole service. Guests actually asked about the 'earthy' sprinkle, so it added to the dish. I know the flavor is not as sharp, but for looks and staying power, it worked great. We might be too quick to dismiss dried herbs in fancy settings. In a rush, they can save your plating without a fuss. Has anyone else given dried herbs a shot like this?

4 comments

4 Comments

quinncoleman6mo ago

Your post hits on a bigger thing where we follow cooking rules without thinking. It's like how everyone says you need fresh bread, but day-old stuff makes better toast in a pinch. Focusing on what actually gets the job done often beats sticking to the book.

skylerburns6mo ago

Hold up, you're telling me STALE bread is BETTER for some things? That goes against everything I've ever been told. I always threw out bread the second it got firm, but last week I made grilled cheese with day-old sourdough and it was PERFECT, didn't get soggy at all. It's wild how many kitchen "rules" are just things we repeat without testing. Like searing meat to "lock in juices" - I heard that's not even true!

allen.anthony6mo ago

Wow, I always avoided stale bread too until I tried french toast with it. @skylerburns is right about testing those old rules yourself.

juliaramirez6mo ago

Actually, I was reading this old cookbook from my grandma, and it said dried oregano is key for certain sauces because it doesn't break down as fast. Like, in a long simmer, fresh might lose its punch, but dried holds up. It made me think about how we always hear 'fresh is best' but that's not always true for every situation. Your wedding app example is spot on, because those heat lamps are brutal. I tried using fresh parsley on a buffet once and it turned into a sad green mush in like ten minutes. So yeah, dried herbs have their moment, especially when you need something to last.