Good guests show up at the appointed time.
Great guests show up at the appointed time with a gift in hand for the host or hostess.
So, what to bring? Flowers? A bottle of wine? Been there, done that. Why not bring something unique, something one-of-a-kind you made yourself?
Gifts of oils, vinegars, butters, and salts flavored with herbs and spices of your own unique selection are a wonderful luxury, simple to make, and a welcome addition to any pantry.
Imagine brushing a steak with garlic-rosemary oil right before it hits the grill. Or how about melting a pat of gorgonzola-scallion, soy-ginger, or ancho-chile butter on a just-off-the-heat steak while it rests?
With gifts like that, you can count on being invited back.
It’s all in a technique called infusion. That is: Imparting the flavor of one substance into the flavor of another.
When your mom or grandmother made from-scratch custard, did she bury the leftover vanilla-bean pod in a tub of sugar to make vanilla sugar? That’s infusion. Making coffee or tea are, too.
Infusing is not an expensive process. So, when it comes to presentation, underscore the uniqueness of your gift by choosing something equally unique to put it in. For example, use a bottle with a hinged stopper for oils and vinegars, a tin box for flavored salts, or a fancy mold for butters.
Infused Oil
Olive oil is an excellent choice when adding such complementary flavors as garlic, rosemary, or basil, for example. If you prefer, to let the accent flavors prevail, choose an oil with a neutral flavor. Grapeseed oil’s mild flavor is a magnificent palette for any combination of flavoring agents.
Sterilization is highly important. So run all containers, covers, tops, and utensils through the dishwasher before use.
Fresh herbs should be thoroughly washed and trimmed of any questionable spots. Put the flavorings in the container. It’s very free form and a little goes a long way. So try a teaspoon of this and a tablespoon of that.
Heat the oil until warm and pour into the bottle or other container. Let it steep and rest for about a week. Then, strain out the solids. A word of caution: remove any garlic cloves within 2 days. Otherwise, the oil can be a breeding ground for botulism. Use dried garlic flakes as an alternative.
Infused Vinegar
Pair the type of vinegar with the type of flavorings: distilled white vinegar for light flavors or wine and cider vinegar for strong flavorings.
Mix and match 2 or 3 flavorings; following the same preparation instructions as for an infused oil.
With vinegar, however, you don’t have to heat it, nor do you have the same concerns about contamination because of vinegar’s acidity.
Let the flavorings steep in the vinegar for 2 to 3 weeks and then strain out the solids.
Flavored Salts
Also known as finishing salts, these are so easy to make: mix salt—preferably an excellent quality sea salt—with flavorings and you’re done.
In Asian cuisine, toasted Sichuan peppercorns and salt mixed in a 1:1 ratio is a common dip for roasted meats and poultry and for sprinkling on rice and vegetables. Proportions for other ingredients can range from 2:1 to 4:1, depending on their strength. When experimenting, you can always increase the strength of flavoring a little at a time.
Make sure you use dry ingredients. You can take fresh herbs, or even citrus zest, mince, and let dry for a few hours before using.
Compound Butters
A compound butter is nothing more than softened butter mixed with flavorings. They are easy to make and versatile to use—from finishing just-cooked meats, poultry, or seafood to mixing with rice, pasta, or vegetables. They add a nice twist to corn on the cob, for example.
Compound butters, also known as finishing butters or beurre compose, can be savory or sweet depending on what it accompanies.
Here are a couple of recipes to get you started. But don’t stop there, try your own unique combinations.
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