Season: More or less anytime. These are dead easy to make and have endless applications in the kitchen. Use them to baste or brown ingredients and they will add pizzazz and excitement to stews and roasts. Likewise, they will jazz up a panful of onions or other vegetables for a soup or sauce and impart character to fish dishes. Herb oils come into their own when drizzled over summer or winter salads; they are also excellent used in mayonnaises and dressings.The basic principle is to choose robust flavorings and leave them for long enough to impart their mighty characters to the oil. Always use a good-quality oil as your base (see pp. 30–31). In all cases, to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, store in a cool place and use within 6 months.
Ingredients
Preparation
Chile oil
Step 1
Split open 6 to 8 dried or fresh chiles. Pack into a dry, sterilized 16- to 20-ounce jar or bottle (see p. 152), along with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns. Heat 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil to about 104°F and pour over the chiles. Cover and leave to infuse for 14 days–a little more for a stronger oil. Strain and rebottle.
Nice spice oil
Step 2
In a dry frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon each of coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds together with a couple of dried chiles. Toast until they release their distinctive fragrances and just start to brown–shake the pan frequently to prevent them from burning. Crush the toasted seeds, then transfer them to a dry, sterilized 16- to 20-ounce jar or bottle (see p. 152). Pour in 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Store for a couple of weeks before straining the oil and rebottling.
Herb oil
Step 3
Lightly pack a dry, sterilized 20-ounce jar (see p. 152) with freshly gathered herbs such as basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, or oregano. You can use individual herbs on their own or mix a few together. Pour in 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil and store in a cool place for a couple of weeks before straining and rebottling the oil.
