Buenas Reader,

Today I want to talk about a tool that I just recently bought. While shopping at Marshalls I came across a broth infuser. A what? Yes, a broth infuser.

Think of it as a larger version of a tea infuser. It works the same way. You open it, add the ingredients you don’t want floating freely in your broth, soup, or sauce, and drop it into the pot. When the cooking is done, you remove the infuser, and the flavor stays behind.

Naturally, you might be asking yourselves a few questions. "Are infusers necessary? Can you get the same result without one? I'm sure you can, you just got this tool. And if so, how?"

Before getting into alternatives, here are a few reasons why I actually like using an infuser.

1. No tying herbs, or skimming with fine mesh spoon strainers. These infusers are great for small particles like peppercorns, cloves, allspice, or thyme sprigs among others.
2. All components for infusion are easily found at the end of cooking, and infusers can easily attach to the lip of the pot or handle.
3. Relatively easy to clean, ready when you need them, and for the price you will get your money's worth.
4. Prevents over-infusing delicate herbs. You can remove the bundle quickly.
5. Keeps broth clearer. Less sediment and debris floating around.
6. Helpful for beginners who are not comfortable tying bundles or straining.
7. Safer than fishing around in hot liquid with a spoon or tongs.

That said, I only reached for the infuser because I happened to find it while wandering through Marshalls. That magical home goods store where things exist only while they exist. It immediately reminded me of all the times I’ve wished for an easier way to infuse milk for Tembleque, or build flavor in dishes like Caldo Santo and my Shrimp and Butternut Squash Bisque. I grabbed it on impulse and finally tested my theory when I was cooking rib chunks, not even broth.

However, if you don’t own one, or don’t want another tool taking up space in your kitchen, you can absolutely create the same kind of infusion using simple methods at home. Here are a few easy ways to do that.

Three ways to easily add flavor to broths, soups, and sauces

1

Bouquet Garni: A selection of fresh herbs and vegetables tied into a bundle with twine. A standard bouquet garni consists of carrots, celery, parsley, leeks, and thyme. If I were to make a Puerto Rican bouquet garni I would swap the parsley and thyme for culantro, oregano or oregano brujo. Bouquet Garni can also be just herbs, which is the most popular way of using this method.

2

Sachet: Made by tying seasonings (often herbs) in cheesecloth. Hm, sounds like my infuser tool. A standard sachet consists of peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley stems, thyme, cloves, and garlic. Once used, you throw the sachet away, whereas with an infuser, you clean it and reuse it. Reusable tea bags work as well, but they also need to be washed before reuse.

3

Onion Piquet: This technique does not require any tying or bagging, but it will require straining at the end to remove any loose leaves or cloves. Peel the onion and trim off the root end. Attach one or two dried bay leaves to the onion using whole cloves as pins. The piquet is then simmered in milk or broth to extract flavor. Discard after use.

At the end of the day, you don’t need a special tool to build good flavor. Most of us already keep twine in the kitchen, especially if you’ve ever made pasteles. That same twine can bundle herbs into a bouquet garni, or secure a sachet just as easily as it wraps banana leaves. It’s inexpensive, flexible, and always useful.

Reusable tea bags and cheesecloth are also great to keep on hand. They work for infusions, straining, and all kinds of small kitchen jobs. If an infuser isn’t something you want taking up space, these simple tools will carry you far.

Next week, I'll be sharing more practical kitchen ideas.

Hasta entonces!

Zoé

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