Why use plain old olive oil when you can elevate your meals tenfold by making your own infused oils? Infused oils contain a base of your oil (usually olive, avocado, or natural) mixed with the most flavourful ingredients – garlic, chilli, or chives!
Infused oils are great for cooking with an added dash of flavour, added to salads and pestos, or even just on a slice of sourdough toast!
With help from TikTok, we’re sharing how to make your own infused oils, three ways: with garlic, with chilli, and with chives. Let’s get cracking…
How to make garlic infused oil
Garlic is possibly one of the most universally loved ingredients! Infused oil makes it so much simpler to use garlic in meals, no chopping or stinky garlic fingers required. Imagine a homemade pizza oozing with cheese and just a drizzle of garlic oil…yum!
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@Kaikani on TikTok shares the following steps for a perfect garlic oil:
@kaikani Reply to @nicolefegett Garlic Oil 🧄 #TiktokCooks #Cooking #Garlic #TipsAndTricks #FoodTok ♬ chill daze beat – Aesthetic Sounds
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup garlic gloves
- 1 cup olive oil
Method:
PEEL and trim a half a cup of fresh garlic cloves.
ADD to pot and cover with 1 cup of olive oil.
COOK over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to cook evenly.
COOL in pot before removing cloves and storing oil in glass jar and storing in fridge for up to 3 weeks. Voila!
TIP: Leftover cloves become soft and sweet, great to use as a puree base in your next meal!
How to make chilli infused oil
Chillis are an acquired taste. Not every palate takes to spicy food, but for those who do, this chilli oil is a game-changer for broths, stir-fries, noodles, fried rice and so much more!
TikTok user @christieathome shares her recipe for Chinese chilli oil:
@christieathome Easy Homemade Chinese Chili Oil. Visit profile for recipe links 📝 #dinnerrecipe #recipes #easyrecipes #goodfood #foodie #chilioilrecipe #chilioil ♬ Night Drive – Elijah Lee
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups Sichuan chilli flakes
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 ½ cups avocado oil or neutral oil
- ¼ teaspoon Sichuan pepper powder
- 3 teaspoon salt
Aromatics:
- 4 slices ginger
- 1 small yellow onion quartered
- 4 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 cloves
Method:
ADD 1.5 cups red Sichuan chilli flakes, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan pepper powder and 3 teaspoons of salt to a heat proof bowl.
ADD 2.5 cups avocado or neutral oil to a pot on stovetop on low heat.
ADD 1 quartered onion, 4 slices of ginger, 4 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and 5 cloves to oil and mix.
SIMMER aromatics in oil for 20 minutes on low heat.
REMOVE and discard aromatics.
POUR hot oil over the chilli flake mixture in heatproof bowl and immediately stir to prevent burning.
LET cool and transfer to resealable jar and store for up to 2 months. Voila!
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How to make chive infused oil
Onion lovers, this one’s for you. Chive oil adds an aromatic, mild onion flavour to salads, roasted veg, soups, seafood and is a great add-on to dips and spreads! Plus, it’s really simple to make.
@alexandradudleyofficial on TikTok shares her recipe:
@alexandradudleyofficial HOMEMADE CHIVE OIL. All you need is a 50g bunch chives and 250ml olive oil. And that is it! #chives #herbs #herboil #recipehacks ♬ Sweet Soul Music – Arthur Conley
Ingredients:
- 50g bunch of chives
- 1 cup olive oil
Method:
CHOP a large bunch of chives and add to high-speed blender.
ADD 1 cup of olive oil and blend until fully incorporated.
POUR mixture through a fine mesh bag placed atop a sieve and bowl.
DRAIN oil through to bowl and discard of leftover pulp.
STORE in glass jar in the fridge and use within two weeks.
And there you have it! 3 delicious infused oils that require so little effort to make! Enjoy.
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Feature Image: Pexels
