Visit or call us on 01993 850979

  • About
  • Hedging Tips & Advice
  • Hedge Guide
  • Delivery
  • Landscaping
  • Contact Us
  • Visit Our Shop
    • Hedging
      • Fast Growing Hedges
      • Root Ball
      • Smaller Hedging
      • Taller Hedging
    • Lavender
      • Lavandula Angustifolia (English)
      • Lavender Chaytoriae
      • Lavender Intermedia (Dutch)
      • Larger Lavender
    • Topiary
      • Decorative Box Hedges
    • Shrubs
      • Flowering Shrubs
    • Garden / Lawn Edging
    • Planting Packs
  • Hedges
    • Shop Hedges
  • Edging
    • Shop Edging
Hedge Xpress - Buy Online - Hedges and ShrubsHedge Xpress - Buy Online - Hedges and Shrubs
  • Lavender
    • Shop Lavender
    • Larger Lavender
    • Lavender Angustifolia (English)
    • Lavender Chaytoriae
    • Lavender Intermedia (Dutch)
  • Shrubs
    • Shop Shrubs
    • Fast Growing Shrubs
    • Flowering Shrubs
  • Topiary
    • Shop Topiary
    • Box Balls & Cones
    • Yew Box Balls & Cones

The History of Rosemary: Magic, Marriage, Medicine and Mutton. Part 4 – Mutton

Hedge Xpress
Jan 14, 2014 Fragrant foliage 0 Comment

Cooking with Rosemary

Rosemary’s oldest culinary record goes back to the 15th century from when we have a recipe for a Rosemary condiment to be served with salt meats.

Salt meats are, of course, preserved and it is this necessity that probably started the association of Rosemary with roast meat. Our ancestors recognized Rosemary as a good preservative (it contains anti-oxidants, though our ancestors didn’t know this) and meat would be coated in crushed Rosemary leaves. Not only did the meat stay fresher for longer, it was also noticed that the Rosemary had imparted an excellent flavour.

A quick – I say ‘quick’ – Google for rosemary+recipe produces no fewer than 28,300,000 results. Of course, many of these will be for chicken and lamb, but in today’s kitchen Rosemary is nothing if not versatile. Although it is impossible to pin down exactly when Rosemary became almost exclusively used with lamb (some say the late 18th, others the 19th century) scanning just the first few pages reveal so many mouth-watering possibilities that the exact date is irrelevant as it is clear that Rosemary has been rehabilitated as the following recipes from those pages (and these are but a few) demonstrate:

Apple and Rosemary pancake
Beef cobbler with cheddar and rosemary scones
Boeuf bourguignon with Rosemary baguette dumplings
Chocolate Rosemary mousse
Fresh Rosemary Pasta
Lentil shepherd’s pie with champ and Rosemary
Mashed Potatoes with leek and Rosemary
Nut roast pie with Rosemary
Orange-Rosemary Vinaigrette
Pear, Thyme and Rosemary Sorbet
Pears poached in Rosemary syrup with caramel sauce
Polenta with Rosemary
Rabbit with rosemary and lemon
Roasted butternut squash with rosemary
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Rosemary Almonds
Rosemary Butter
Rosemary Focaccia
Rosemary Honey Ice Cream
Rosemary Infused Oil
Rosemary Lemonade
Rosemary Mint Wine Jelly
Rosemary Pear Crisp
Rosemary Risotto
Rosemary Shortbread Biscuits
Slow roast leg of lamb with chardonnay, rosemary, sage and bay
Etc., etc., etc…
Rosemary is also an integral element in one of the most famous and popular blends of dried herbs – Herbes de Provence. Here’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s take on a classic:
Mix together (in a pestle and mortar if you are using home dried herbs):
5 tbsp dried thyme
4 tbsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp dried marjoram
2 tbsp dried summer savory (optional)
1 tsp dried lavender
And store in a lightproof and airtight container.

So, whatever you fancy, be it sweet or savory, when you give your Rosemary bushes their annual cut, don’t put the branches onto the compost heap, bring them in, tie them in bundles and hang to dry anywhere that’s cool, dry and airy.
PS: you can give ordinary salt a bit of a kick by adding a dry sprig of Rosemary to your salt container.
PPS: Tie together a small bundle of rosemary branches around 3cm long to make a brush for basting oven roasts and barbeques.

View Our Recommended Hedges

Box Ball 55-60cm
Quick ViewSelect options

Box Balls, Variable Sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£45.00 – £92.40 inc. VAT
Box cone 90-100cm
Quick ViewSelect options

Box Cones, Variable Sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£52.32 – £79.98 inc. VAT
Quick ViewSelect options

Common Box, Variable Sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£11.94 – £19.19 inc. VAT
Quick ViewSelect options

Euonymus Fortunei Emerald Gaiety, Various Sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£7.49 – £14.34 inc. VAT
Quick ViewSelect options

Beech, various sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£7.97 – £33.00 inc. VAT
Quick ViewSelect options

Purple Copper Beech Various sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£9.60 – £47.94 inc. VAT
Griselinia Littoralis Variegata 10L 60-90cm
Quick ViewSelect options

Griselinia Littoralis Variegata, Variable Sizes

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£19.74 – £39.54 inc. VAT
Quick ViewAdd to basket

Escallonia Macrantha 45-60cm

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£14.94 inc. VAT
Elaeagnus ebbingei hedge
Quick ViewAdd to basket

Elaeagnus ebbingei

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£16.74 inc. VAT
Quick ViewAdd to basket

Elaeagnus ebbingei Limelight 60-90cm

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£21.00 inc. VAT
Euonymus Fortunei Emerald n Gold 5L 25-35cm
Quick ViewAdd to basket

Euonymus Fortunei Emerald n Gold

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£16.80 inc. VAT
Privet-Ligustrum ovalifilium
Quick ViewAdd to basket

Privet-Ligustrum ovalifilium 60-90cm

Add to Wishlist
Remove from Wishlist
£19.14 inc. VAT
Hedge Xpress

The History of Rosemary Magic, Marriage, Medicine and Mutton. Part 3 – MedicinePrevious post
How do I Plant a Mixed Hedge?Next post

Recent Posts

  • Pittosporum tenuifolium flower arangments
  • Why buy a hedge?
  • Bare Root, Rootball vs Container
  • Why Evergreens Are a Great Option for Hedges
  • Winter Hedges: Part 1

Archives

Categories

  • Evergreen Hedging Plants
  • Fragrant foliage
  • Gardens
  • Green management
  • Hedging Plants
  • Latin Horticulture Terminology
  • Native Hedging
  • News
  • Plant Containers
  • Uncategorized
  • Wildlife
  • Winter Weather Hedges
Hedge-Xpress-Logo
  • Buckland Road, Bampton,
    Oxfordshire, OX18 2AA
  • info@hedgexpress.co.uk
  • 01993 850979

SOCIAL CONNECT

facebookinstagrampinterest

OPENING TIMES

  • Monday-Friday 9am until 4pm
  • Closed Bank Holidays
  • The company will not be operating from 23rd December 2021 until 4th January 2022

COMPETITIVE PRICES AND VALUE FOR MONEY

If you are considering an order with a value over £1200, please contact us for a volume discount. Delivery is free on all orders above £390.

Professional gardeners, landscapers and other trade customers are welcome.

TRADE ENQUIRIES

Professional gardeners, landscapers and other trade customers are welcome. Contact us at info@hedgexpress.co.uk or call 01993 850 979.

USEFUL INFORMATION

  • About
  • Landscaping
  • My Account
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
©2021 Hedge Xpress. All Rights Reserved. Payment Method
Planting packs now available
Click here to order