At the end of the Summer growing season I always end up with big bunches of fresh basil from my garden. Although basil can be dried for future use, making some herbaceous oil is a way to get the bright basil taste when you need it. I make my Basil Oil and store it into small jars that I like to gift along with a cheese platter. Not only do you end up with the most incredible bright green color, but the aroma and flavor is magical.
I prefer to use this oil to finish off a dish. Drizzle some over the obvious mozzarella and tomatoes, but try over grilled fish, over Spaghetti Marinara, use instead of mayonnaise in a sandwich, or add to a salad dressing along with your olive oil.
In a high powered blender combine the leaves, oil and salt. Place the lid on the blender and blitz for 3 minutes, or until the oil looks "broken". You need to go past the point of emulsification. This will break down the all the fibers and release all the aromatics, and color, into the oil. Note: the oil will get warm from the high speed blending, and this is ok. I don't recommend a food processor for this, a blender does a much better job. In batches strain the oil through a fine meshed sieve into a measuring cup or jar. You may gently stir to speed up the process, but not too aggressively, you want to keep as much fine solids out of the oil. Set the jar aside for an hour or so to let any solids settle. Fit a jar with a coffee filter. I rig my jars up by cutting a small slit an inch down from the edge of the filter and thread a chopstick though as support for suspending over the jar. Carefully pour over the top layer of oil and allow to strain. This will take time, so set it and forget it, returning every now and then to add more oil to the filter. In the end add the remains of the far and allow that to sit overnight. You will end up with a gorgeous emerald green oil. Store in the fridge for several months. Drizzle over anything you can think of. Eggs, fish, add a flair to any type of pasta, and of course, mozzarella and tomatoes. A tablespoon added to your salad dressing is a fantastic flavor bomb too.
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