Summer
Right. Not a soup but a tisane. It is a very delicate yet powerful dish. One that needs testing before serving it to friends. The fun is that you need to find the right balance between the strength of the stock, the strength of the rosemary and the timing. The tisane should combine the special taste of the rosemary (a bit soapy), the smell of fresh rosemary and the effect of cleansing your taste buts. It’s best served in a small cup, size double espresso. It works well between two more substantial dishes, or when you want to take a very different direction with your next dish.
Hard to say what you would drink with it.
Here is what you need:
- Strong chicken or vegetable stock, preferably home made
- Rosemary
Heat the stock to 80 Celsius. Warmer will make the tisane bitter. Now use the leaves (needles) of the rosemary only and find out how many you need for let’s say 1 cup. Count the number (!) and set your alarm for 2 minutes. Now remove the rosemary and taste. Too bitter: set the alarm to 90 seconds. Not strong enough: increase the number of needles. Not intense enough: try 150 seconds. Keep testing until you have the perfect result!
You could decorate with one or two rosemary flowers, if you think their sweetness adds value.
Cook and Drink 