Bring on the Flavor

Last week we
discussed using oils and fats in our diets and the fact that fat imparts flavor
to every dish. At the same time we all want to keep fat to a minimum while
adding as much flavor as possible. One delicious way of doing that is by
flavoring your oil.

Add extra flavor
and aroma to cooking oils with herbs, spices, citrus, nuts, and aromatics. With
just a few ingredients, you can create delicious flavored oils that are
bursting with color, taste terrific, and have amazing aromas. Not only are
these infused oils quick and easy to make, they’re perfect for jazzing up salad
dressings, drizzling over pasta and seafood, dipping bread into, stir-frying,
sautéing, and so much more.

Olive oil is a
natural choice, given that it’s most likely in your kitchen already. Use light
olive oil so that the added flavor characteristics will come through in the
final product.  You will need about 2
tablespoons of flavoring per cup of oil.

Always keep
flavored oils refrigerated. Infused oils last about 1 month when stored
properly.  Allow flavored oils to sit out
at room temperature for approximately 20 minutes before each use. Don’t use
flavored oils for deep-frying—leftover particles will burn.
To prepare infused oil, heat in a medium saucepan with the whole spices, washed
and dried fresh herbs or sliced aromatics like shallots or garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes, until the mixture
is lightly bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely and
strain into a bottle.

To prevent any
cloudiness, take care when straining the infused oil.  Be aware that if you put herbs into the bottle
with the cooled oil for a pretty presentation, it will result in slightly
cloudier oil.

Combining herbs and spices in the infused oil results in
complex flavors that will enhance many dishes.

Herb Oil

1/2 cups fresh parsley,
checked

1/2 cup packed
fresh basil, checked

1/2 bunch fresh
thyme, checked

Zest of half an
orange

1 whole dried
chile pepper or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 teaspoon whole
black pepper corns

2 cups canola oil

1 cup
extra-virgin olive oil

Place herbs,
zest and peppers into a medium sauce pan. Add oils and bring to a boil over
medium heat. Cook 6-7 minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool and strain
through cheesecloth into a pretty jar or bottle. Store oil in the refrigerator
for up to one month. Allow oil to come to room temperature before using.

Another
flavorful cooking method which uses oil for maximum flavor is poaching.
Intrepid chefs have hove come up with this technique recently and it has become
wildly popular. Put simply, this method involves submerging a piece of
fish in warm olive oil and then cooking it in the oven at a low temperature to
perfect doneness. The fish emerges with an incredibly tender, silky texture and
pure flavor that’s hard to achieve with any other cooking method.

Olive Oil Poached Salmon

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 small
bunch fresh dill

1 lemon, sliced
in half circles

½ teaspoon
rosemary

1 tablespoon
whole peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 quart light olive
oil

4 (6-ounce)
salmon fillets, skin removed

Kosher salt

Place the
garlic, dill, lemon slices, rosemary, peppercorns and bay leaves in cheesecloth
or mesh bag. Tie closes. Add the oil to a large straight-sided sauté pan and
toss in the sachet. Bring the pan to a medium heat and let simmer for 15
minutes.

Let the
salmon come to room temperature and season generously with salt. Add the salmon
fillets to the pan with the olive oil. Cook the fish in the oil for 15 to 17
minutes. Remove from the oil with a fish spatula to a plate before serving.