Quote:
Originally Posted by T.G
Making some infused garlic oil now, I'll know in a few hours if it works.
Basically, I took the garlic confit idea, reduced the garlic and upped the oil. One bulb of very coarsely chopped garlic, a handful of coarsely ripped up dried peppers, a teaspoon or two of dried oregano, a tablespoon of kosher salt (diamond krystal) and one 500 ml bottle of bold flavored olive oil. Split evenly into two quart vacuum bags, and going in the bath for 4 hours or so at 190. Should get a decent extraction and hopefully shouldn't cook the oil. If it works, I figure the oil should be good for finishing or dipping bread.
Thinking I'll strain it when done, save the garlic cloves and some of the peppers for grinding into a sauce at a later date.
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So I ended up with an infused oil, but not with the flavor profile I had intended / hoped for.
I probably used too many peppers, this should be a real shocker for anyone who knows my cooking
, and they overpowered the garlic. Or I didn't use enough garlic. Or I needed to cook it longer to extract the garlic flavors. Or a combination of a few things. Whatever, there's not any garlic flavor to this. Dammit.
Didn't need the salt. AT. ALL. It sat like a lump in the bottom of the bag. In retrospect, there was no way it was ever going to do anything since it's not oil soluble and there isn't enough garlic to provide adequate moisture to dissolve it. I should have known better.
The good... I have almost a full bottle of some absolute kick-ass chili infused (with hints of garlic) extra virgin olive oil.
I'll come back to this idea and work on it some more once this bottle is done. Maybe I'll even try sciencing it next time.