Making Homemade Basil Oil is a simple and delicious way to add fresh, herbal flavour to your dishes. This recipe is easy to follow and only requires a few basic ingredients. You can use the basil oil to enhance salads, pasta, pizza, grilled vegetables, chicken, fish, seafood or meats or even as a dip for bread! Its so versatile!
This homemade basil oil is perfect to make when you have a glut of fresh basil or when the warmer months are coming to an end, you can use up the remaining basil in your garden so no wastage!
This homemade oil makes the perfect salad dressing. Its especially good on tomato salads or caprese style salads. The basil oil just pops with the contrasting colours and takes it to another level. It equally delicious with pastas, grain salads or couscous.
Its not limited to just salads though, enjoy it as a quick marinade for chicken, fish, tofu or vegetables or perhaps drizzled over your homemade pizzas to make them look gorgeous. Serve as a dip with crusty bread, perhaps alongside some balsamic vinegar on an antipasto plate. Another favourite way to serve it is drizzled over crispy smashed potatoes sprinkled with some Greek feta and fresh basil leaves to really ramp them up! (See pics below). Or add a swirl to soups, especially tomato or minestrone, for an aromatic and beautiful finish. The basil oil also works with extremely well with seafood, especially grilled prawns or octopus!
I choose to blend my oil and leave it rustic with the basil pulp still in it but if you want to really impress or would prefer a clearer oil, simply strain the mixture through some fine cheesecloth to remove all the solids. This will give a clear, green oil.
Let me know how you use your oil. Its so versatile it can be used in so many delicious ways but there is always more and I would love to hear!
~ Homemade Basil Oil ~
Homemade Basil Oil
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1 cup olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Fill a bowl with iced cold water and add some ice cubes. Set aside.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the basil leaves and blanch for 10-15 seconds then quickly scoop them out and transfer them to the bowl of iced water to stop the cooking process. Once cool, drain well then pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water.
- Place the basil leaves into a blender, nutribullet or small food processor. Add the oil and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Transfer into a clean, airtight container or jar. Store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- OPTIONAL: For a clear oil, after blending, place a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl or jar. Pour the blended mixture through the strainer to remove any solids, pressing down to extract as much oil as possible before storing.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified.
You may also like
Leave a Reply