Sprig

A sprig is one small stem of a fresh herb with its leaves attached, cut from a larger bunch. Recipes use it for thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, mint, parsley and tarragon. A sprig is usually 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) long. It is meant either to cook whole and come out before serving, or to be picked over for its leaves.

How to do it

Whole sprigs in a stew, braise, roast or stock:

1. Add the sprigs whole, alone or tied together with kitchen twine as part of a bouquet garni.
2. Let them cook with the dish. Woody stems will not soften.
3. Remove them before serving. Most of the thyme leaves will have dropped off into the dish, which is what you want.

To pick the leaves off thyme or rosemary, hold the top of the sprig and run the fingers of your other hand down the stem, against the direction the leaves grow. For soft herbs, pinch off the leaves and small tender stems.

How to use it

How much a sprig gives depends on the herb:

One sprig of	Rough leaves
Thyme	about ¼ teaspoon leaves
Rosemary	about ½ teaspoon chopped
Mint or basil	4 to 8 leaves
Parsley or dill	about 1 teaspoon chopped

If you only have dried herbs, use about ⅓ to ½ teaspoon of dried thyme or oregano in place of 3 to 4 fresh sprigs. Dried herbs are stronger by volume.

Common mistakes

• Leaving woody rosemary or thyme stems in the dish. They are tough and unpleasant to bite.
• Counting a long branch as a sprig. If your rosemary comes in 20 cm branches, cut each into two or three sprigs.
• Adding delicate herbs such as basil, mint or dill at the start of a long cook. Add them at the end or as a garnish.

In recipes

You will see "2 sprigs fresh thyme", "a sprig of rosemary" and "mint sprigs, to garnish". "Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme" means pick the leaves and discard the stems.