Scent Garlic Aromatic Oil (Printable Version)

Delicate garlic oil infused with herbs, perfect for boosting flavor and adding aroma to your meals.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (240 ml)

02 - 8 large garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed

03 - 1 small sprig fresh thyme (optional)

04 - 1 small bay leaf (optional)

01 - Place the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, and optional thyme and bay leaf in a small saucepan.

02 - Set over the lowest heat and warm gently until small bubbles form around the garlic, avoiding any browning.

03 - Continue to infuse on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the garlic becomes pale golden and very fragrant.

04 - Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

05 - Strain the oil through a fine mesh sieve into a clean jar, discarding the garlic and herbs.

06 - Seal the jar and refrigerate the scented garlic oil; use within one week.

01 -

It transforms ordinary dishes into something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, even though you invested just twenty minutes.
Once you taste the difference between homemade and commercial versions, you'll wonder why you ever bought the bottled stuff.
It keeps for a week, so you can make it once and use it across a dozen meals without thinking.

02 -

If your garlic browns even slightly, the oil becomes bitter and acrid—start over, it's not worth saving. This lesson cost me a whole cup of expensive oil.
The moment you see small bubbles, you have the heat right; any hotter and you've crossed from infusing into cooking, which changes everything about the result.

03 -

If you want deeper garlic flavor, lightly smash the cloves with the side of a knife rather than just crushing them—more surface area means more flavor migration into the oil.
After straining, if any tiny garlic bits slip through, strain again through cheesecloth for oil so clear it looks like captured sunlight.