Infused oils

Since this is a cooking blog and I’ve been asked when I’m going to post recipes, here are two simple recipes for infused oils, which are used for vinaigrettes, sauces and marinades. My camera is on the fritz, so I can’t post pics of the first one, which I tried adding to mashed potatoes (result was too oily). The second one was taken home by a teammate, so no dice there either. Both are good, however.

Orange chili oil
1 pint canola oil or similar neutral oil Zest of 3 oranges
1 tablespoon of annate seed 1 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 clove garlic
½ inch piece of ginger

Heat all the ingredients in a medium saucepan until they reach about 150 degrees; steam should begin to rise from the oil at this temperature. Then steep for about 30 minutes, allowing the oil to absorb all the tangy, spicy goodness from the other ingredients. To strain, fold four layers of cheesecloth and pour the oil through. Do not touch, let gravity do its work. Voila, you have an infused oil, which should be very red, due to the annate seed.

Basil oil
4 oz of Basil leaves 1 pint of olive oil

Blanch and shock the Basil. This entails quickly immersing the leaves in boiling water for maybe 10 seconds, then tossing them into an ice bath. The process keeps the green color vibrant. Next, dry the Basil well but try not to crush it. Place the leaves in a blender with half of the oil and puree until smooth. Add the remaining oil, give it a quick pulse in the blender (if you have room) and then strain through cheesecloth.

Infused oils that use green herbs and vegetables should never use hot oil, because it could ruin the beautiful green color of the final product. Red oils, however, are almost always cooked.