Instructions: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add herbs and make sure to push the leaves under the boiling water. Blanch herbs for 5 seconds. Drain into a strainer and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain well and squeeze out all the liquid. Pure in a blender with olive oil.

Strain pure immediately through a fine-mesh strainer such as a china cap.

Strain again through 4 layers of cheesecloth and put in a sterilized glass bottle. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Use within 1 week for optimum flavor.

Note 1: For best results, choose very fresh herbs with strong flavors and an olive oil with a clean, neutral taste. A blender makes a finer, smoother pure than a food processor and extracts more flavor. Some oil will be lost during filtering depending on how tightly it binds to the flavoring ingredients.

Note 2: Tarragon does not work very well except early in the spring when it is very sweet, otherwise it tends to taste bitter when infused.

Note 3: Make sure to squeeze all the water out of the cheesecloth or filter papers before use.

Flavored Oils by Michael Chiarello

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