10.23.2005

Recipe: Flavored Oils


Flavored Oils are fabulous - they can add or improve many types of dishes (meat, fish, pasta) in a lot of different ways.

For you diet-doers - oils can add flavor to a dish without the fat, calories, etc. that are usually involved in enjoying a typical sauce with your meal. (Like the wateress puree sauce I had Friday night at City Zen - we are talking pureed watercress added to about 4 oz. of clarifed butter - AWESOME! - but not a Diet-Tiers' sauce)

If you have acid reflux or something similar a flavored oil is a great thing to mix in with your salads - therefore enjoying the 'vinaigrette-like' flavors - without the problems associated with additional acid in your diet.

Flavored oils are also a great way to inpart 'color' or 'design' into a presentation - while limiting the additional complications of the flavors of the dish. I am sure we have all eaten at a restaurant where we are served a dish that has some pretty red or green dots on it. Noticing that there are only a few dots on our plate, we dip our fork in it - taste it - and realize it is roasted pepper or basil flavored. Therefore, it is not there to be a 'sauce' per say - but sure makes your dinner look a whole lot more exciting.

Oils are super easy to make. The only problems that arise could be when making 'green colored' oils. I'll list a few different recipes for some of my favorite oils and then go into a little detail on how to make a great - and exceptionally bright and vibrant green - oil.







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