rosemary-strawberry semifreddo; method questions

[afn33282]

Hey all..!

Somewhat new at this. Trying to put together a dessert, and wondering if anybody has thoughts on method/technical issues I might run into. Thanks!

Idea: I want to make a layered semifreddo--rosemary meringue, and frais du (des?) bois custard...it's hot and dusty here in Cambridge, and, the latitude and local ambient (flora, etc.) color palette suggested to my feeble mind that these might be a nice combination. Plus, I've been reading a lot of Richard Olney lately....

1. The meringue:

a. Am I going to run into trouble whipping a meringue considering the oil content in rosemary? Whipping by hand, too. I thought of doing an Italian meringue, thinking that one, a rosemary syrup might be a good way to disperse the flavor into the whites, and two, that the heat of the syrup might tighten the meringue up a bit..but I'm also running on instinct a bit.

b. I'm using heavy-gauge sugar, here. If enough of y'all talk me out of the syrup meringue bit, and also on the custard side, any thoughts on whether I should take the sugar for a spin in my coffee bean blade grinder first?

c. rosemary infusion. not sure whether to infuse in water, and then add sugar, or infuse in syrup. also, thoughts on temp? I don't want to volatize (word?) all the nice aromatic oils out. i thought maybe a in a syrup the sugars might bind them in a bit. should i look at a lower-temp infusion?

d. thoughts on when to add the syrup? my understanding is that it should be after the meringue is already whipped up

e. only other options I can think of are pulverizing dried rosemary, and hoping the water content in the whites rehydrates it by the time freezing has set, or pounding fresh with sugar, and straining out the leaves....going dry; no syrup, or, option b into a syrup. I'm just hoping for a really concentrated, vibrant flavor, here, just to the point where the flavor/color of the herb is very established, and not just a backdrop for the strawberry side.

I'll just post and part I this...and depending how responses go, I might trouble y'all with my custard questions.

Thanks,

Chris