Marjoram. What an Herb!!!

[jarona]

So yesterday I'm in the grocery store--an in quite the hurry. Since I have a tendancy to not pay too much attention to detail when I'm rushed, what I thought was fresh thyme, was actually a bunch of marjoram--which I didn't realize till I got home.
Now. I love cooking with fresh herbs--but it is always either thyme, savory, rosemary, basil, bay leaf, cilantro--but I've never used this marjoram. When I realized my error, I was so surprised by the scent. This herb smells like old-school church insence! Anyway, I just made a mushroom soup and used quite a bit of this marjoram..this could become my new favorite herb?
So fellow CH'ers--what do you use marjoram in? I am really curious!

[sr44]

This just showed up on 101Cookbooks:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/...

[eclecticsynergy]

My Mom informed me some time ago that marjoram is now the only herb she uses in soups. And she makes mighty good soups.

[meatn3]

It is nice with lamb preparations.

[linguafood]

Marjoram is related to oregano, as Harters pointed out upthread.

I make a wonderful dish of farfalle, shrimp and zucchini in a white wine-cream-sauce, heavily seasoned with marjoram.

Love it! It's also a basic herb in German cuisine, most often used with poultry.

[shaogo]

My mother called marjoram "the roast beef spice." I'll occasionally use it in addition to salt and pepper on the outside of a roast.

We never use oregano in our restaurant's Marinara sauce; just a little marjoram. (I don't really care for oregano except on a white clam pizza or in Greek seafood dishes.)

Marjoram and mushrooms go together very nicely, I find. Same with meat sauce.

A tangent on this topic: oregano and thyme are very strong seasonings that some don't care for. For some reason these spices are over-used in restaurants, and the more understated marjoram and savory aren't used that often.

[MGZ]

Marjoram and mushrooms go together very nicely, I find.

Absolutely, I agree. Saute some sliced Criminis in butter and add salt, pepper, and marjoram . . . terrific. Add more butter, and breadcrumbs, it's a side dish. Add more butter and beef or chicken stock, it's a sauce.

[JamesBend]

Marjoram seems to be pretty popular in supermarket bought sausages (at least in the UK). Following that theme one of the quick family meals we do quite often is a spicy sausage pasta using these sausages, fennel seeds, marjoram and chilli flakes in tomato sauce. A simple family favourite!

[MGZ]

I'm another who likes it when roasting a chicken. Additionally, I will add some to chicken livers when I saute them.

[Harters]

I grow marjoram (it meets my criteria of being useful and attractive, so finds a place amongst the other flowers in the garden). Our climate is too cold and wet for "proper" oregano, so I use marjoram in place. It is , of course, part of the oregano family - origanum majorana.

[Frizzle]

I love this Jamie Oliver recipe for mozarella with creme fraiche and marjoram. It was this recipe that introduced me to the herb. since then I've tried to grow it just in case i feel like this salad. http://cookbad.blogspot.com.au/2007/0...

It grows well in pots too, I've got a plant going strong two years in the same pot with no fertiliser or pest sprays. The local critters here devour my parsley but leave the marjoram be.

[KaimukiMan]

My aunt's wild rice casserole with pork sausage. The casserole is seasoned with thyme, rosemary, sage and marjoram. I've been known to throw some in pasta sauce as well.

[dkenworthy]

Would you share the recipe? I love wild rice, and don't use it as often as I should.

[KaimukiMan]

I'm sure a recipe exists. Originally it includes making a white sauce/béchamel. I'm not real good with sauces, so - forgive me auntie - i use cream of mushroom soup.

At various times I've done various substitutes, friends who don't eat pork, friends who don't like onion, etc. But basically it is as follows:

1 pound wild rice, cooked & drained
1 pound pork sausage browned and crumbled
1 large onion chopped and sautéed
1 pound sliced mushrooms, sautéed
1 can cream of mushroom soup or
equal amount of white sauce/béchamel
1 generous pinch each of:
- thyme
- marjoram
- sage
salt and peper to taste

Mix it all up, put it in a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, covered.

Sometimes I add rosemary, sometimes I sub a small pinch of oregano instead of the marjoram - its not as good that way.

because of a related family recipe I often throw in a can of sliced water chestnuts for added crunch. At times I've used turkey bacon or another type of sausage. Adjusted seasonings, etc. depending on how wet the rice is you may want to thin out the sauce a bit, but not too much.

Usually served as a side dish in our family, but it makes a good main as well. I love it reheated for breakfast.

[dkenworthy]

Thanks! KaimukMan. I will give this a try next time I am in the mood for a casserole. Given that it is equal parts rice and meat, it will be a main for us.

[valerie]

After seeing people recommend this dish forever, I finally tried it a few months ago. It was really good!

Spicy Roast Chicken with Tomatoes and Marjoram

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[geminigirl]

+1, I've always made it with dried so love to hear how it comes out with fresh. This is a great dish!

[EWSflash]

I love it, too. I always have some growing, and it's pretty sturdy stuff usually, but I have a new yard and it's not quite as easy as it was in the old yard. But I think its flavor is one of God's big gifts to us, along with tarragon!

[Ruthie789]

In meatloaf.

[ipsedixit]

They're great when roasting vegetables, esp. if you ever roast sweet potatoes.

[grangie angie]

LOVE it in Italian sauces/'gravy'.....not as strong as fresh
oregano.

[Kelli2006]

Ive grown marjoram for almost 20 years so I use quite often. Its good when you want a background spice but you don't want the strength of its cousin oregano.

[jammy]

I use a small pinch of it in roast gravy, along with my usual thyme, bay and peppercorns.

Liver dishes get a large pinch of marjoram. It just really works with liver.

[realtorav8tor]

I like the flavours also. It is a good part of the flavour in herbes de provence. I mix up my own blend, it doesn't work without marjoram. Lavender on the other hand is optional, I leave it out. Grilled veg, roast chicken are good candidates for seasoning.

[jarona]

Get outta town!!! I had no idea that marjoram was in Herbes de provence!! I have quite a bit of the Herbes de p. and never, ever realized marjoram was in there! I'm going downstairs now to check it out:)

[sr44]

I've used it mostly in Swedish potato sausage, a triumph of pork and potato. I like Victoria Wise's recipe from American Charcuterie, but other recipes abound. Not being in any way Swedish, I think the simpler recipe the better, but I'd like to hear from Swedes if that's a good idea. If you don't want to stuff it in casings, you can make patties.