Photo by Maria Robledo
Extra-virgin olive oil, subtly infused with lemon zest, is one of my favorites. There is no set formula for making these oils. The ratio of flavoring to oil will depend on the intensity of the ingredients you choose. Since they flavor the oil quickly, you can taste and add more flavorings, if you wish. These oils are splendid on many foods -- practically anything you would dress with olive oil.
You can make flavorings from ingredients such as:
• Fresh herbs (leaves only) such as basil, cilantro, chives, tarragon, thyme, sage, rosemary or savory
• Thin strips of lemon or orange zest removed with a vegetable peeler
• Part of a fresh garlic clove (green sprout, if any, removed)
You'll also need kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil.
Coarsely chop herbs, zest and/or garlic, and place in mortar or an unbreakable bowl with a with a pinch of salt; pound to a coarse mash with a pestle or a rounded rock.
Stir and mash the flavorings with the pestle as you slowly drizzle in the oil. Set aside to infuse one hour before using; if too strong, add more oil to taste.
It is not necessary to strain these quickly-made oils. Serve right out of the mortar bowl, spooning the oil from the flavorings.
Strain out and discard the flavorings; refrigerate the oil for up to two days.
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to hurry the process along: microwave to warm (as this speeds up the infusion process) then give a stir or two
I do stress some caution here.
Please research Botulism and infused oils.
These items should be made up then used or discarded the same day.
Chef John, Thank you for your warning. Though extreme, you are right to err on the side of caution in a published recipe (with some caveats). We will amend the copy.
This is one of those issues, such as eating runny egg yolks and raw beef, that I've heard food writers and editors debate endlessly over the years. Nobody seems to know of cases of flavored oils sickening anyone with botulism, rather, they're concerned with the potential of oil creating an anaerobic environment in which botulism (dormant in garlic or herbs) might flourish AND the problem that occurred years ago with commercial chopped raw garlic in oil carrying botulism. So in writing for the public, the consensus is: give the conservative view. The FDA recommends straining the solids out and refrigerating the oil for up to 10 days.
It's been my experience that with the solids strained out, the oils do just fine when refrigerated (I am still here, though perhaps I was just lucky; and the risk is, like eating runny yolks, a personal decision).
My usual method of making oils for longer-keeping is to gently heat the flavoring - fresh herbs, garlic, spices etc - in oil at the barest simmer, long enough to cook them and extract the flavor (and hopefully kill any dangerous organisms) OR blanch the herbs in boiling water, cool down and squeeze dry before blending them with oil, which gives them a vivid color. The oil is left to cool and infuse, then the solids strained out and the oil stored in a clean, dry jar in the fridge.