herb flavor help please

[Kali]

chicken breasts in a white wine cream sauce to be served over white rice - recipe calls for sprinkling marjoram and thyme on top. Got the thyme but no marjoram.

Among some others totally rejected already(fennel, curry powder), I have parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, bay, and some rather old tarragon and savory.

What do you recommend?

edit: googling "marjoram substitute" gives me....oregano, something I NORMALLY have a several kinds of. It IS on the shopping list, but unbelievably I am out!

[Duer 157099]

1. This is just a guess, so don't take it too seriously

but it's what I would do if I were in your situation.

First option is just go with exactly what the recipe says, minus the marjoram (so, thyme - which is just fine - hey that rhymes)

Second thought is that parsley can never hurt.

Third thought is that basil and thyme play well together, I use that duo for lots of things.

Fourth thought is maybe a squeeze of lemon juice - if I recall, marjoram has a bit of a citrus-y-ish-ness to it (?)

I doubt there's any way you can mess it up, as long as you stay away from anything too heavily flavored - thyme is quite subtle, and even too much basil can overwhelm it I guess.

Good luck! :hi:

edit: you know, I just remembered that I have some chicken breasts in the fridge that I need to use tonight, and I think your recipe sounds good - can you post details? If not (before I have to cook dinner that is) then I'll just improvise, not like that ever happens, lol

[Kali]

2. good advice

the reason I was semi-freaking is I had already done a bunch of improvising. It is one of my Mother's old cream-of-mushroom soup type recipes/ I'll give both versions.

Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts 1/4 inch thin then roll a piece of cheddar cheese (1/2 oz?) and secure with a slice of bacon. Place "seam" down in baking dish. Pour a mixture of 2 cans cream of mushroom thinned with 1/2 can water and 1/2 can white wine (really - red tastes fine but the color is really gross) per 10 to 12 rolls. (each breast should make two rolls) Sprinkle lightly with marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper and chopped green onions (and stems). Cover with foil and bake 350 for one hour then 1/2 hour uncovered.

Tonight's version:

5 bone in chicken breast halves with skin, 3 cups thin to medium white sauce made with bacon grease instead of butter. Add one cup sickly sweet white wine. (no wonder there was almost a full bottle still in the fridge - gag)
Taste, then scramble to fix with salt, pepper, chicken bullion and some real sherry.

Sprinkle with thyme and...run to the internets looking for a substitute for marjoram.... bake for an hour and a half or so... smells ok now but looking a little fatty, probably should have worked on removing the excess fat and skin from the chicken breasts....

[Stinky The Clown]

3. Chicken Little Sez: I love Sage and I love Rosemary .... but not together

Use one or the other of them and you can't miss.

Neither is a marjoram substitute. Marjoram and oregano are brothers .... literally very closely related, botanically.

[Tab]

4. I think your stickler is the white wine cream sauce

I have a zillion herbs I could recommend (and maybe four that I actually use), but once you introduce white wine cream sauce you reduce your options considerably. The reason being that it's a very delicate taste.

Look at things that are traditionally paired with delicate sauces - dill, chives, etc. Chives seem like they might make a good pair with the rest of what you have.

I personally don't like rosemary, except as a stuffed herb. I've always found it too overpowering.

Consider unusual things too, like cinnamon.