The gift of flavour

Not only are flavoured oils the secret ingredient to memorable meals, they also make wonderful gifts.

Making a flavoured oil is really quite simple. Here’s a suggested recipe using fresh basil leaves that you might like to start out with. But keep in mind that you can use a wide variety of herbs and vegetables such as sage, rosemary, shallots, gingerroot, sweet peppers, chile peppers or garlic cloves to make your flavoured oil uniquely yours.

Lemon Basil Oil

Serve in a small bowl with a sprinkling of chopped fresh basil and small pieces of crusty French bread for dipping.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. (25 ml) lemon zest, cut in 1/2” (1 cm) pieces
• 15 (15) fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup (250 ml) canola oil

Directions

1. Prepare ingredients. If desired, you may add one or two of the extra ingredients without increasing the time for processing the oil.
2. Pour 1 cup (250 ml) canola oil into a 2-cup (500-ml) glass measuring cup and add the flavouring ingredients. Set the container on a pie plate in the centre of the oven. Heat at 300°F (150°C) for 1 hour 40 minutes. If possible, use a candy or digital thermometer to ensure the oil has reached the required temperature of 250°F (120°C). Remove to a rack to cool for 30 minutes.
3. Line a small strainer with a coffee filter. Saturate the coffee filter with regular canola oil so that the flavoured oil is not absorbed and lost in the filter. Strain oil into a clean glass jar, cover and store in the refrigerator at all times. Use oil within a month.

Ideas for using flavoured oil

• Sprinkle flavoured canola oil over poached or steamed fish.
• Paint pizza dough or soft tortilla shells with flavoured canola oil before adding topping or filling.
• Drizzle flavoured canola oil over cooked vegetables.
• Sauté mushrooms or onions in flavoured canola oil.