10 Must-Have Spices for Every Kitchen: Basil

We are looking at the top 10 spices that every cook should have on hand in their kitchen to make the most basic of dishes. Certainly this list is rudimentary and not meant to cover all ethnic bases. If we’re missing something or want to weigh in on this, please drop us a line. Next on our top 10 list of herbs and spices every cook should have on hand in his or her kitchen is the “king” of herbs: basil.W

History

Sweet basil, also called Saint Joseph’s Wort, is the most common herb in the Lamiaceae family (which includes mint) and has been actively cultivated for about 5,000 years. And while there are more than 40 known varieties of basil—including lemon, anise, clove, cinnamon, purple and Thai—the sweet variety is the most common and widely grown. Thought to be native to India, Asia and Africa, basil is a prominent ingredient in Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Laotian dishes. Its name comes from the ancient Greek word “basilikohn” meaning “royal” and reflects its long history as an herb popular with nobility. Except for in warm climates, basil is an annual herb and is easy to grow. It thrives in hot temperatures and direct sun and, if grown indoors, should be kept away from cold drafts and wide temperature swings.

Flavors

Sweet basil is highly aromatic and has a strong, sweet flavor like clove or anise or mint. Special varieties, like lemon or cinnamon basil, take on those characteristic aromas and flavors as well. Fresh, sweet basil is also easily bruised, so chopping and using quickly in sauces and as a garnish is advised. Basil is best used fresh because drying causes it to lose much of its flavor and aroma. Instead of keeping a jar of dried basil leaves in your spice rack, put a live plant in a south-facing window and pick leaves off as needed. The plant will continue to grow leaves and if it starts to sprout flower heads, keep those pinched off to promote leaf growth. Once the flowers are allowed to bloom, leaf growth on that branch will stop.

Where to buy

As was mentioned above, sweet basil is one of those herbs where fresh is the only way to go. If keeping a live plant is more work than you want to undertake, most grocery stores sell packages of fresh basil along with pre-packaged salad and other herbs. If you do use the dried leaves, know that the volatile oils that comprise the flavor and aroma are largely lost in drying, so be prepared to use more.

How to Use

Because you’ll likely be using sweet basil fresh, add it to sauces at the very end of the cooking or simmering time for maximum flavor and aroma. The heat of cooking will drive off the volatile oils and leave less flavor and aroma the longer it cooks. That’s also why sweet basil leaves are added after a margherita pizza comes out of the oven.

Probably the two most popular uses of sweet basil are in making pesto and in caprese salad. In the most common version of basil pesto, rinsed leaves are crushed with garlic and pine nuts and then blended with Parmesan cheese and olive oil. This vibrant, aromatic sauce is great as a stand-alone on pasta, for adding a dollop to finish a minestrone soup or even on roasted potatoes and steak.

On a caprese, toasted bread (typically a sourdough baguette) is topped with fresh mozzarella, a slice of tomato and a basil leaf and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Who’s Cooking with it?

Caprese can be found on dozens of menus in and around Boulder County. It is a great way to show off fresh basil and mozzarella and, when in season, flavorful heirloom tomatoes. But the new kids over at 740 Front in Louisville include a twist; they slow roast thick slices of roma tomatoes and forego the bread (although you can get sliced focaccia if you ask, which you should). The roasting intensifies the flavors in the tomatoes and makes this version of an otherwise mundane appetizer exceptional. The tomatoes and mozzarella are topped with big, fresh leaves of basil and the whole thing is drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s a delicious start to a meal.

The folks at Cafe Blue, located at 5280 Spine Road in Gunbarrel, put basil to work during lunch on their Salmon Salad. A pile of baby spinach and field greens, strawberries, feta cheese and cucumbers is tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing and then a generous hunk of pan seared salmon filet is placed on top. Fresh out of the pan, the salmon is slathered with a generous schmear of pesto. The heat of the salmon intensifies the aroma of the basil and Parmesan cheese in the pesto, which goes great with the salmon. The vinaigrette dressing echos the pesto ingredients and the whole salad—strawberries, feta cheese and all—comes together deliciously.

If you’re looking for your basil to be front and center in a truly robust Italian dish, Pinocchios in Lafayette (at Baseline and North Public Road) has a Basil Calzone that is outstanding. Chunks of mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes are sautéed with a generous portion of pesto and then stuffed into a perfect pastry pocket with enough mozzarella to create a flow of melted cheese when you cut into it. Unlike a lot of other calzone crusts, Pinocchios’ version isn’t thick and doughy, it’s crispy and baked to a perfect golden brown. The combination of pesto, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes offers a hearty, flavorful filling that puts the rich tang of basil front and center. The pesto also plays well with the tomato sauce that comes on the side.