The needle-thin leaves make people wonder how anyone could have thought of putting rosemary in their mouths in the first place. But as soon as you grab a little and rub it in your hand, smell the fresh aroma that comes to your nose, these doubts immediately dissipate.
What is rosemary?
Flavor: With earthy flavor, rich fragrance
Common dishes: meat, grilled vegetables, soups and stews
Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean, but it can be found in many regional cuisines today. Rosemary is a small evergreen shrub with tall, long branches and thin leaves. Unlike other woody plants, rosemary retains its aroma and flavor even after drying.
It has a pine-like aroma, rich flavor, and can be used fresh or dry. It should be noted that because the flavor is strong, if you accidentally use too much, it is easy to make the taste of the whole dish unbalanced. When cooking, it is best to start with a small amount and slowly increase as appropriate. Another point is that the longer you cook it, the more pronounced the taste of rosemary will be, especially in dishes with a lot of juice.
How to use it?
Rosemary is a symbol of exorcism, so in the Middle Ages, people would scatter it on the ground during Christmas. As everyone stepped on the ground, the aroma of rosemary also filled the home. Tradition has it been assumed that anyone who smells rosemary on Christmas Eve will have a happy life throughout the year. Until the twentieth century, rosemary was a popular Christmas tree. At that time, rosemary coated with gold dust was such a precious gift.
Rosemary and sage and thyme belong to the Lamiaceae family. Just like thyme, if a recipe uses a rosemary, it refers to a stem of the entire plant. To remove the leaves, simply hold the stem with your fingers and slide down against the direction in which it grows, while peeling off the leaves.
Fresh rosemary is very useful, especially because it has a strong woody aroma, which is very suitable for winter. However, even if it is cooked, the texture may still be too hard, so you can chop it first before adding to the dish.
For breakfast, you can add rosemary to scones and various breads, or to cereal or salads. Try it with French toast or potato paratha.
For a snack, pair rosemary with Middle Eastern pocket cakes or potato chips, or more seriously, make a cheese round cake with rosemary salt.
When it's time for dinner, sprinkle rosemary on pizza and serve with kale seedlings and potatoes. Or add it to mashed potatoes and serve with fried chicken thighs marinated in buttermilk and rosemary. Don't waste rosemary stalks, they can be used to skewer beef cubes, tofu or shrimp, and then grilled to eat. In addition, rosemary can also be rubbed under the skin of birds and birds or on beef fillet to create a crispy crust.
Whether it's meat, vegetables or soups, you can use rosemary. It can also be used in marinades or into fragrant flavored creams. For dessert drinks, add fresh rosemary to smoothies or yogurt ice, or use in cookies, cakes or candy.
How to save?
To preserve fresh rosemary, wrap it in a damp paper towel, wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a container, and put it in the refrigerator. You can also wait for the rosemary to dry, remove the leaves and store them in an airtight container and store them in a cool and dry place.
If rosemary is commonly used, why not grow your own pot! With plenty of sunlight and moisture, rosemary can grow strong. Just pick a little when you want to use it, and you can usually feel the pleasant fragrance of rosemary, which is convenient and comfortable.