Extra virgin olive oil, the true king of condiments, can be enriched in flavor and nutritional properties with spices, herbs and berries. Here's how to make infused olive oil.
In Italy, the most famous of the infused oils is chili oil, the spicy oil known in the South as "olio santo" (holy oil) and used to season countless dishes.
All infused oils are excellent for finishing many preparations made with meat, fish and vegetables at the end of cooking. Depending on the dishes you're serving, you can choose to switch up your condiment, always confident you're adding that extra touch of flavor and imagination to every dish.
Infused oils can be made at home cold, by steeping spices and herbs for a few days. But there's also a hot method, which involves heating the aromatics and oil in a double boiler — less recommended, since it could alter the oil's nutritional properties and distort the aromas.
Cold preparation is very simple: aromatics and spices, carefully washed and dried, are added to the oil, and everything is left to rest in a cool place in a dark glass bottle. Remember that, if stored under the best conditions, the oil can be consumed within two years.
Today we're bringing you three recipes for making excellent homemade infused oil. Let's get started!
Herb-infused oil recipe
Ingredients and method
- 1 liter of fruity, mild extra virgin olive oil
- 3 fresh basil leaves
- 3 sage leaves
- 3 thyme leaves
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of rosemary
