I love olive oil. I cook with it all the time and two bottles of olive oil sit right next to my stove on a daily basis – regular Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Garlic-Infused Olive Oil. I use them interchangeably, but nothing compares to using the garlic oil to add flavor to simple seafood or even create a great citrus-garlic dressing. It is also perfect for a quick Easter veggie — drizzle on some asparagus and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes.
What makes it even better is it is super simple and cheap to make. You just need two ingredients: Garlic Cloves and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and two days — with about 15 minutes over those two days to make it happen.
Here is how you make it:
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
8 Cloves of Raw Garlic
2 Cups of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Step 1: Smash the Garlic cloves on a piece of parchment paper on your cutting board using the side of a wide knife, remove the skin and chop up the garlic while still on the parchment paper — you mainly will want to do this to make the “inserting garlic into oil” process easier.
Step 2: Open up the bottle of olive oil, remove the pour spout/insert and pour a little out — especially if you have a 17 oz bottle, so you do not have overflow when the garlic goes in.
Step 3: Pick up the parchment paper and funnel the garlic into the bottle. Shake up a bit, then let it sit on your kitchen counter for 48 hours. I stop and shake it when I can, but leaving it alone will be just fine.
Step 4: 48 hours later, open the bottle and pour it into a fine mesh strainer over a measuring cup to strain out the garlic. Any Pyrex container with a spout and a sifter you have around will do.
Step 5: Pour your garlic-infused oil back into the bottle and find a home for it among your kitchen staples.
I especially love it on roasted vegetables and even in a quick seafood scampi pulled together after a long weekend.
Enjoy!