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Epicurious

Chile Oil

These are dead easy to make and have endless applications in the kitchen. Use them to baste or brown ingredients and they will add pizzazz and excitement to stews and roasts. Likewise, they will jazz up a panful of onions or other vegetables for a soup or sauce and impart character to fish dishes. Herb oils come into their own when drizzled over summer or winter salads; they are also excellent used in mayonnaises and dressings. The basic principle is to choose robust flavorings and leave them for long enough to impart their mighty characters to the oil. Always use a good-quality oil as your base (see pp. 30–31). In all cases, to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, store in a cool place and use within 6 months.

Ingredients

Preparation

  1. Split open 6 to 8 dried or fresh chiles. Pack into a dry, sterilized 16- to 20-ounce jar or bottle (see p. 152), along with 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns. Heat 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil to about 104°F and pour over the chiles. Cover and leave to infuse for 14 days–a little more for a stronger oil. Strain and rebottle.

The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin. Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.
TagsChileVegetableDairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeEasy5 Ingredients or FewerMeal PrepCookbooks
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