Glossary of food terms: R
Rosemary
Rosemary is a most versatile herb with a flavour that complements a wide variety of dishes and ingredients. Native to the Mediterranean, its bittersweet green leaves look similar to pine needles. The plant is an evergreen shrub, so the leaves are available fresh all year round. (If fresh isn't available then dried rosemary is useful to have in the store cupboard, but replace it often because it loses its potency and flavour after a few weeks.)
When used sparingly, the flavour of rosemary goes well in subtle and delicate dishes such as ice creams, sorbets, fools and fruit salads. The robust and highly aromatic flavour of rosemary can also be used as part of a bouquet garni in soups, stews and casseroles.
Whole sprigs can be added to flavour roasted vegetables. Meat, poultry and game can be spiked with rosemary and it can be chopped and used in stuffings and sauces for fish, lamb or chicken. Some Italian breads are flavoured with rosemary leaves.
Remove leaves or sprigs after cooking; it's also a good idea to crush dried rosemary before adding it to your dish because the sharp leaves can be difficult to remove after cooking.
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