Adding a little herbal vinegar, oil or butter to your dishes is a fast and easy way to punch up your meals. And these little splashes are even zestier if you've used herbs fresh from the garden or the windowsill. Culinary herbalist Debbie Whittaker offers these simple recipes for a sure-fire flavor boost to any meal:
Herb vinegar:
Commercially prepared herbal vinegars are usually expensive. "Once you see how easy they are to make, you'll never buy another one again," says Whittaker.
- Purchase a bottle of high-quality white wine or champagne vinegar. If you're going to keep the herb vinegar in this bottle, soak off the label. When transferring the vinegar to smaller or more decorative bottles, you needn't bother with removing the label.
- Wash the herbs thoroughly, and make sure the entire work area is clean before you begin.
- Pour off a little vinegar into a clean cup and put aside for another use.
- Add the herbs of your choice to the bottle of vinegar (figure A). The sprigs should be several inches shorter than the height of the bottle, but you need the weight of large sprigs so the herbs don't float. Use about 1 part fresh herbs to 1 part vinegar.
- Put the cap on the bottle. Turn the bottle upside down a few times to completely immerse the herbs (figure B). Leave the bottle on a kitchen counter or other convenient spot so that you can turn the bottle over daily to mix the herbs and vinegar.
- After three to four weeks, strain out the herbs and either pour the vinegar back into the bottle or divide it into smaller bottles with a single herb sprig for identification.
Herb oils:
- Purchase a bottle of high-quality olive oil or canola oil. Virgin and extra-virgin or cold-pressed olive oil usually has more nutrients than regular olive oil. If you're going to cook with this oil, use canola, which can withstand higher temperatures before it begins breaking down and possibly altering the taste of the herbs.
- Use only woody herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme; fleshy herbs with high water content are not suitable for long-term oil infusions. Wash the herbs thoroughly, and make sure the entire work area and utensils are clean before you begin. Herbs must be completely dry to the touch before being added to the oil. Pat them dry after washing, then let them air-dry for two or three hours.
- Pour some of the oil into a clean glass pie plate. Place herb sprigs in the oil and smash the herbs with a fork (figure C). The volatile oils in woody herbs are held deep within the leaves.
- Pour the oil and herbs from the pie plate through a large funnel into a sterilized jar with a lid (figure D). Don't use your fingers; be sure to touch the oil and the herbs only with utensils that have been sterilized.
- Add fresh oil to the jar until the herbs are completely immersed.
- Put the lid on the jar and place it in a cool, dark place for three weeks.
- Strain the herbs out, and refrigerate the oil. It should keep in the refrigerator for about three months.
To make garlic oils, mash the garlic into the oil and place in the refrigerator immediately. It will begin infusing overnight. Use within two weeks.
Herb butter:
Place 2 sticks of softened real butter in a food processor; process till it has a nice consistency. Add two to three tablespoons of snipped fresh chives and a dash of lemon juice to the processed butter. Process again for just a few seconds. Do not overprocess. Chill and serve (figure E). Other herbs, such as purple basil or lemon balm, may also be used. The choice is yours.
Guests Debbie Whittaker
Herbalist and Owner, Herb Gourmet
Email:
herbgourmet@aol.com.
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