Gaia Angel 
Daughter of Gaia and all around clueless Soul!
Posts: 39
(11/29/03 6:31 pm)
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Herbal Oils and butters
Herbed Oils
Herbed Oils can be used in a variety of marinades, sautes, salads, and as a dip for crusty breads. The proportion of oil to herb is important as far as strength and taste of the finished product, so use the guidelines below to start, and then feel free to experiment on your own with different combinations and strengths.
The new procedure for making flavored herbal oils is to measure the appropriate amount of cleaned and chopped herbs (1/2 cup chopped fresh herb sprigs or leaves and 1/4 cup dried), place in a non-metal pan with a cup of oil (olive, peanut, safflower, or sunflower oil are appropriate), then gently sauté the herbs in the oil until it's fragrant and warm - about 5 minutes. Sauté gently and do not let this mixture come to a boil. Strain, place in decorative bottles, and store in the refrigerator. These oils will stay good longer than the old-fashioned kind, but in general they should be made on-the-fly whenever needed and not stored for over a month or so.
If you prefer to start out simply, you can make single-herb oils. See below for a sampling of some herbs and the appropriate types of oil to try. This is not a complete list by any stretch, so do experiment on your own once you are comfortable with the basics.
Olive Oil goes well with Basil, Fennel, Garlic, Cayenne, Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon.
Sunflower Oil goes well with Basil, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme.
Safflower Oil is complimented by Basil, Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme.
Peanut Oil is enhanced by Garlic, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary.
Use these single combinations, or experiment with your own for salad dressings, sautes, marinades, etc.
Olive Oil
Garlic, Oregano, Thyme
Saffron, Garlic
Basil, Cayenne, Garlic
Lovage, Garlic, Celery Leaf
Garlic, Sliced or Spiraled Lemon Peel
Rosemary, Garlic, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Lemongrass, Star Anise
Peanut Oil
Chervil, Tarragon, Shallots
Basil, Garlic
Safflower Oil
Ginger, Coriander Leaf
Garlic, Basil
Sunflower Oil
Dill, Garlic
Basil, Garlic
Herbed Butters
To make a tasty herbed butter to be used on toast and biscuits, steamed vegetables, sautés, and chicken or fish, combine about 1 tablespoon of fresh or 1/2 tablespoon of dried herbs in softened butter. Place this mixture in butter molds or ice cube trays and cover with plastic. It will keep in the refrigerator for about one month, and in the freezer for about three months.
Breakfast Butters
Lovage, Beebalm Dill, Mint Lemon Verbena, Orange Peel Tansy, Costmary
Vegetables, Chicken, Fish, Breads
Garlic, Marjoram
Chives, Sesame Seed
Basil, Oregano, Thyme
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