Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) has spicy, pungent, rather tough leaves that resemble pine needles in both appearance and aroma. Native to the Mediterranean region, rosemary is cultivated in nearly all countries around the Mediterranean, as well as England, the United States, and Mexico. Bold though its needles may be, rosemary’s lovely blue flowers are sweetly perfumed and delicious sprinkled on salads, rice, or pasta. The blossoms yield a particularly fragrant honey preferred in Spain for making the honey nougat called turrón. The use of rosemary is most common in the kitchens of Italy and France. In Greece and some other countries where rosemary grows in abundance, it’s not considered suitable for culinary use. Astringent, piney rosemary complements fatty, strong-tasting meats such as lamb, pork, duck, and game. It matches well with garlic and red wine and is especially good for roasted or grilled meat. Trailing rosemary is hardy and winding.
- Other Names
- Alecrim (Portuguese); biberiye, hasalban, or kuşdili (Turkish); dentrolivano or rozmari (Greek); ecensier or romarin (French); eklil kuhi or rozmari (Farsi); iklil al-jabal (Arabic); mi tieh hsiang (Chinese); old man (British); ramerino or rosmarino (Italian); romero or rosmario (Spanish); rosmarin (German); roumanieou (Provençal French); rozmarin (Romanian, Russian, Hebrew, Bulgarian).
- Season
- In late spring, the early part of its season, rosemary will be more tender; by late summer it’s more resinous, potent, and tough, so use less and chop finely.
- Purchase and Avoid
- Fresh rosemary is always preferable and is widely available throughout the year.
- Preparation
- Dried rosemary leaves are sharp and pointy, so either chop finely or strain out before serving. Note: Rosemary is very pronounced, so use it with care, as too much can make a dish taste medicinal. Use dried rosemary in careful doses and fresh rosemary more freely.
Culinary Uses
It complements a wide variety of foods, most notably lamb.
The dried needles need time to soften and release their flavour, so we suggest using them in soups or stews.
Use rosemary sprigs to brush olive oil on meat and poultry when grilling, and sprinkle rosemary stalks on the charcoal for extra flavour.
Season diced potatoes with rosemary, salt, and pepper and bake.
Stuff chicken with rosemary sprigs, a quartered lemon, and a handful of garlic cloves when roasting.
Simmer rosemary in cream, strain, add lemon juice and lemon zest, and serve as a sauce for roasted fish or chicken.
Try grinding and adding to sauces or sprinkle onto grilled meats.
Food Affinities
beef
beet
chestnuts
chicken
duck
eggplant
garlic
lamb
lemon
olive oil
onion
orange
pork
potato
rabbit
red wine
tomato
turnip
white beans
zucchini
Cuisine: Global
Category: Spices and Herbs
Sub Category: Herb
- Posted21-Apr-2011
- Total Views80
- Word Count723
- Commentvia Twitter
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