O, Rosemary! The all-star ingredient for chicken dishes
Botanical name: Rosmarinus officinalis Family: Lamiaceae
Culinary herbs are your friends, so don’t be afraid to up your herb and spice game in the kitchen. Rosemary is an aromatic plant that is used profusely in Mediterranean cuisine. It imparts an herbaceous flavour to anything from chicken and lamb to roasted vegetables, risotto and more. Rosemary is derived from the Latin word rosmarinus, which means ‘mist of the sea’. Rosemary is part of the mint family, together with basil, lavender, oregano and others. In aromatherapy, rosemary is believed to improve circulation and strengthen mental clarity, alertness and memory. It’s also known to be antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. Even more interesting, rosmarinic acid, a major active phytochemical in rosemary, has protective effects on glucose and lipid metabolism.
Rosemary is low in toxins and prevents fat oxidation. In a marinade, rosemary helps to protect unstable oils in meat, and when used in sautés,
it maintains delicate oils for a longer period of time.
These are some ways you can use rosemary in the kitchen
- Pack fresh thyme sprigs inside a whole chicken with lemon wedges
for a delicious infusion while roasting. - Use it as part of a black currant jam to marinate chicken.
- Make a rosemary flavoured salt and sprinkle it on dishes for
extra seasoning.
To make dried rosemary from scratch in under one hour, start with a handful or two of fresh rosemary. Pre-heat your oven to 200°C. Make sure to wash the sprigs well and leave them to dry on a towel. Next, strip off the leaves from the stem and collect them on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and dry the rosemary for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they’re ready, you can store them in a tightly sealed glass jar for a few months.