Herbed Olive Oil Recipes

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat until just bubbling. Add herbs. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Steep 1 to 2 hours. Strain out herbs, and funnel into a clean glass container. Refrigerate up to 1 week; bring to room temperature before using.

Steps:

• Place basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano in a 12 ounce bottle. Using a funnel, pour oil into bottle. Cover tightly, and refrigerate unused portions. Use within 2 to 3 days.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months. Yield: 3 batches (1/4 cup total)., To prepare dipping oil: In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 4 teaspoons herb mix with water. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10-15 seconds. Drain excess water. Transfer to a shallow serving plate; add 1/2 cup oil and stir. Serve with bread.

Steps:

• In a blender, puree the herbs and oil until completely smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer for 45 seconds, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Don't press on the mixture, but you can tap the strainer against your hand to get the oil to drip through faster. Immediately strain the oil again through a flat-bottomed paper filter. If the filter clogs, you may need to change the filter partway through.
• It's okay to pick the filter up and squeeze it gently to get the oil out faster, but be careful not to break the filter. Sometimes a little dark liquid comes through the filter first. Don't worry; that's water. It will settle to the bottom because it is heavier than the oil. Let the filtered oil settle for a few hours, then pour it off the dark liquid. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

Steps:

• In a 1-quart mason jar, place all of the herbs, zest, chile and peppercorns. Pour both oils into a saucepan and heat to 200 degrees F. Pour the hot oils into the jar and cover with a kitchen towel. Let stand overnight.
• Place cheesecloth over the top of the jar and replace the outer rim of the lid. Invert and strain oil into desired container.

Steps:

• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Pour olive oil into skillet gradually, sliding skillet away from burner if oil begins to splatter. Add garlic; cook until sizzling but not brown, about 1 minute. Turn off heat, leaving skillet on burner. Stir in extra-virgin olive oil, basil, and oregano. Transfer to container and store in refrigerator until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight.

Steps:

• First make the starter dough - mix the yeast with 100ml hand-hot water in a small bowl. Leave for 5 mins until bubbling. Add the flour to a large bowl, and pour in the yeast mix and another 250ml hand-hot water. Beat vigorously with your hand for a few mins. (The dough will be really wet but don't worry, you'll be adding more flour later.) Scrape all the dough from your hands and the sides of the bowl. Cover tightly with cling film and leave to ferment in the fridge for at least 12 hrs, overnight if possible.
• Meanwhile, make the herb oil. Set aside 2-3 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme, plus a few bay leaves. Bash the rest using a pestle and mortar (or use a rolling pin) to release the flavours, then stuff into a large sterilised bottle or Kilner jar, or a few jam jars (see tip, right). Heat the oil in a saucepan until just warm, then carefully pour into the bottle using a funnel. Leave to cool before securing with a lid.
• Take the starter dough out of the fridge about 1 hr before you want to make your focaccia - it should have risen considerably. To finish the dough, mix in the additional flour, the sea salt and herb oil until it's soft yet slightly sticky. Knead the dough with extra oil for 5 mins until smooth and springy. Return to a clean, warm bowl and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hr.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Turn the risen dough onto a deep oiled baking tray (about 20 x 30cm) and press to a rectangle about 2cm thick. Break the reserved herbs into smaller bits and push them into the dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size.
• Once risen, press lots of holes into the dough with your fingers. Brush the top with a little more herb oil and sprinkle over some rough sea salt. Fill a shallow tray with some water and put in the bottom of the oven, with the bread on a shelf above. Bake for 25 mins until golden, reducing the temperature to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 if the bread starts to brown too much. Remove from the oven, scatter over the reserved herbs and bake for another 10-15 mins until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack until ready to eat. Tear into chunks and dip in more herb oil, if you like.