Basil Oil

Sundried Tomatoes in Basil Oil

Makes approximately ½ cup

This recipe was taken from the Big Heart Little Stove cookbook by Erin French. In the original recipe, you can use any fresh herb to create the oil including tarragon, chives, parsley, mint or dill. I opted for basil because I wanted to use it to experiment with my sundried tomatoes.

Ingredients

2 cups packed soft fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt (I use sea salt)

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Using a large bowl, create an ice bath with a few handfuls of ice and water. Set the bath aside. Boil six cups of water, add two tablespoon of sea salt to the boiling water. Carefully add the two cups of herbs to the boiling water and blanch for 10 to 15 seconds, until the leaves turn bright green.

Using a slotted spoon quickly remove the leaves from the boiling water and transfer them into the ice bath; his will stop the cooking process. Once cool, use your hands to squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

In a blender, combine the herbs, oil and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and blend until smooth. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes for the flavors to infuse.

Using a strainer pour the herb oil through the mesh and separate the basil bits from the oil. The oil will have a green hue to it at first but the particles from the herbs will eventually settle to the bottom. The herb oil will keep in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Postscript:  As noted earlier I used my Basil oil to experiment a second time with my sundried tomatoes so it will be interesting to see how well it does infusing the basil flavor with the dried tomatoes and what its shelf life is in a canning jar.

Big Heart Little Stove

By Erin French

Page 160 (Herb Oil)

ISBN 978-1-250-83231-3