On Green oil......
Green oil is one of those garnishes that's in every chefs repertoire. Everyone has their own technique of making it. Some chefs like to blanch their herbs and then buzz them, others don't blanch it and process it raw, I have even seen chefs cook the herbs sous vide before blending them. The technique I use, I learned from chef Todd Mark Miller when I was working at the Gansevoort South in Miami. The great thing about this technique is that you have no waste. You can use both the oil and the herb puree (which is the bi-product of straining out the oil).
I take whatever herb I want to infuse my oil with and put it in the blender. I like to use pomace or blended oil for this application because it can withstand some heat. You want to warm your blended oil on the stove until right before it starts to smoke at about 375 degrees fahrenheit. You don't want the oil to be smoking because if it does, you have gone to far and your oil will get bitter leaving the finished product with an unpleasant taste. Once you get the oil hot enough, add it to the blender, cover it and blend on high speed for about 1 minute. You definitely want to be careful because the oil will start to fry the herbs; I normally cover the top with a towel to prevent it from splashing out. Another thing to keep in mind is the ratio of herbs to oil, you want a 1:8 oil to herb ratio. It will work with more oil but the color will be diluted.
I find this approach to be the easiest and quickest method to make a vibrant green herb oil. I like to use the oil for obvious applications while the herb bi-product will be used to fold into risottos, aioli based sauces, spreads, pasta, and broths amongst other things. The herb "pesto" adds a vibrant green color to anything you fold it into. Try it and let me know how it turns out. Hit me up either here or on Facebook if you need more guidance. Here are some pics of a chive oil I made the other day.
I take whatever herb I want to infuse my oil with and put it in the blender. I like to use pomace or blended oil for this application because it can withstand some heat. You want to warm your blended oil on the stove until right before it starts to smoke at about 375 degrees fahrenheit. You don't want the oil to be smoking because if it does, you have gone to far and your oil will get bitter leaving the finished product with an unpleasant taste. Once you get the oil hot enough, add it to the blender, cover it and blend on high speed for about 1 minute. You definitely want to be careful because the oil will start to fry the herbs; I normally cover the top with a towel to prevent it from splashing out. Another thing to keep in mind is the ratio of herbs to oil, you want a 1:8 oil to herb ratio. It will work with more oil but the color will be diluted.
I find this approach to be the easiest and quickest method to make a vibrant green herb oil. I like to use the oil for obvious applications while the herb bi-product will be used to fold into risottos, aioli based sauces, spreads, pasta, and broths amongst other things. The herb "pesto" adds a vibrant green color to anything you fold it into. Try it and let me know how it turns out. Hit me up either here or on Facebook if you need more guidance. Here are some pics of a chive oil I made the other day.
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