July 1 – Flavorfully Infused Oils

This week’s recipe was not very exciting, but I got a kick out of the behind the scenes action at the NY Times. As a general matter, Bittman’s recipes usually occur on-line the Friday before they appear in hard copy. So I’d been on-line on Saturday morning (June 27) and got a preview of the recipe. On Monday (June 29), I intended on making it, but the recipe was not longer available. I thought that was a bit strange, but I just waited for Wednesday, and then it was back with a big “Correction Appended” at the top. Here was the correction:

Correction: July 1, 2009
A recipe on Page 4 today with the Minimalist column, about infused oils, corrects two errors that appeared in the recipe when it was published at nytimes.com on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The online recipe misstated the amount of time the oil should cook after it bubbles and the length of time it is safe to use after being refrigerated. The oil should be cooked five minutes, not “a minute or two,” and it should be kept in the refrigerator no more than a week, not “a month or so.” The corrected version can also be found at nytimes.com/dining.

And the accompanying video was even better – flashing big red text at the bottom of the screen with the corrections. I guess that’s what happens when you just whip stuff up in your kitchen and spread the word and then give it to the recipe checkers. It’s good to know that the Times is checking the food safety aspects of the recipes they publish. And in Mark’s defense, the accompanying article did end with the following: “Food safety experts recommend that you do not leave flavored oils at room temperature for more than two hours; refrigerate them, and use them within a week.”

Now, I don’t know about most people, but unless you’re making food for a mob, I think it’s unlikely that most of us would use a cup of specially flavored oil within one week of making it. And it also leads me to wonder what extra steps manufacturers take when making the infused oil they sell at the store, which doesn’t say it should be used within one week of opening. Oh well, I made the recipe as appended, but only made a half cup of oil. I used thyme, since my thyme plant has exploded in the past week and I like the flavor generally. I used the flavored oil in a simple vinaigrette, and I could tell a slight difference in the lasting herb after taste of the dressing. I’m thinking it would be a fabulous addition to cous cous with roasted vegetable or a simple focaccia. But I’m pretty sure I won’t use the rest of the oil in the next week, so I’ll have to decide whether to tempt the food safety gods….

Flavorfully Infused Oils
1/2 cup washed and dried fresh herb leaves: rosemary, thyme or oregano, etc., or dried bay leaf
Or
2 tablespoons whole spice: star anise, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, dried chilies, etc.
Or
4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed; or 4 tablespoons fresh ginger slices, roughly chopped shallot or scallion, etc.
Or
A combination of your choice
Pinch salt
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Warm mixture until it bubbles, then continue to simmer, the oil bubbling all the while, for at least five minutes.
2. Cool, then use a funnel to pour oil into a clean bottle or other container. Refrigerate and use within a week.
Yield: 1 cup.