Flavored oil

I'd like to make chile oil. A restaurant I used to work at made a great one, but I was a waitress at the time and never learned how to make it. Does one need to cook the oil and chiles, or can one simply let the chiles steep in the oil for a time? What chiles are recommended? Thank you!

[Pete]

You can use any chiles you like, fresh or dried. To do fresh ones: chop them up and add them to a neutral flavored oil and allow 5-7 days for them to infuse. If you want it a little more decorative just cut slits in the chiles to allow the juices to escape and put into a nice bottle. The best way to do dried chiles is blend them with the oil and allow it to sit a few days then drain the oil off of the sludge at the bottom. Many flavored oils should be made with neutral tasting oils such as vegetable, salad, canola etc. This way the flavor of the oil doesn't interfer with other flavors. Use olive oil for making garlic, or basil oils.

Thanks so much, Pete! That sounds very simple; I'll try it soon and let you know how it turns out.

[chefjohnpaul]

Just to add to Pete's reply, Chef Jean-George VonGerichten made flavored oils very popular some 10 years ago and I frequently use his method using ground herbs or spices.

1/4 cup ground herb or spice
1 cup neutral oil such as Canola
enough water to make a paste

Take your herb or spice and put it in a jar or other container with lid, add a little water and make a fairly stiff paste. Add the oil and cover the container, shake vigorously to blend the oil and spice. Let set undisturbed for at least 12 hours. The herb/spice paste will settle as sediment leaving the oil highly aromatic and giving it the color of the herb or spice. Ladle off the oil and discard the sediment.

Originally posted by chefjohnpaul:
Just to add to Pete's reply, Chef Jean-George VonGerichten made flavored oils very popular some 10 years ago and I frequently use his method using ground herbs or spices.

1/4 cup ground herb or spice
1 cup neutral oil such as Canola
enough water to make a paste

Take your herb or spice and put it in a jar or other container with lid, add a little water and make a fairly stiff paste. Add the oil and cover the container, shake vigorously to blend the oil and spice. Let set undisturbed for at least 12 hours. The herb/spice paste will settle as sediment leaving the oil highly aromatic and giving it the color of the herb or spice. Ladle off the oil and discard the sediment.

Don't we have to worry about botulism with flavored oils? Are there not specific guidelines for how long these oils can be kept?

[Nick.Shu]

i wouldnt think that botulism would be a issue if you strain the chillis or whatnot out of the oil, the only problem with the oil is the possibility of rancidity.