Olive oil is one of the most representative products of Spanish cuisine. Whether it is used in the cooking process as a final touch for dressing, it is an ideal ingredient for many preparations. By infusing it with aromatic herbs you can get as many oils as desired combinations.
To achieve this, the first thing is to use a soft oil with little acidity, so the flavor of the aromatic herbs will have more prominence, as chef Iolanda Bustos explains to La Vanguardia. That rules out EVOO, which is acidic and too potent, or early harvest varieties, which contain bitter and spicy tones.
The most suitable olives are the most ripe ones, since they are sweeter and softer. Bustos, known for its culinary proposal with flowers in the disappeared La Caléndula, suggests the mature Arbequina or the Arbossana, from the Catalan pre-coastal. In addition, the chef recommends using dried aromatic herbs and not fresh ones, since the water contained in the leaves can spoil the oil.
There are various ways to make the infused oil at home, but Bustos opts for making it cold, because he believes that the product is more respected and thus its antioxidant properties are preserved.
In this way, the herbs are pulverized with a food processor, added to the oil and the whole mixture is left to macerate for up to a week, to get the most out of the aroma. When storing it, it is best to keep it in a glass jar and in a cool, dry place.
Below we leave you some very easy combinations to prepare, go ahead!
This option is ideal for dressing pasta dishes, pizzas or white fish. We recommend that you use an especially mild olive oil, as basil is already an aromatic herb with a lot of flavor, and remember that you must clean and dry the basil leaves well beforehand.
This oil with Mediterranean flavors is perfect for dressing toast, vegetables or salads. It also works very well to add to roast meats or side dishes, such as baked potatoes.
Bustos explains that, now that the thyme is flowering, you can pick a few bunches first, dry them beforehand, and then add them to the oil.
If you like spicy, try this recipe for oil with chillies, mixed peppers and oregano. It is a great option to highlight the flavor in pizzas, steamed vegetables, hummus, noodles or fried eggs.
According to the chef, in this case, you could opt for a slightly more intense oil, such as the Hojiblanca or Picual varieties. Well, having a slightly spicy taste will enhance these ingredients even more.
Garlic and parsley are ingredients that work very well with meats, fish, seafood or pasta. You can also use this oil to season any salad, including legumes!
Some of the most emblematic Italian dishes go perfectly with these ingredients. Like for example, this rosemary foccacia, to which you can add this oil when serving it. Other preparations to which you can add this dressing are fish or meat.
