ITALIAN DIPPING OIL:
A Baguette Loaf's Best Friend
We have a new Italian restaurant in our neighborhood. For the last three months we've been watching all the construction activity as the building comes to life.
Finally the long awaited sign "Now Hiring" went up and then the much anticipated "Now Open" sign appeared. Shortly after, we popped in for dinner--no reservations necessary. The restaurant was a delightful jumble of clattery activity. Just plain fun. The kitchen was open with all sorts of tantalizing herb and garlic and parmesan aromas floating into a dining room full of happy, laughing eaters. For our first visit we decided to order Spaghetti Bolognese (spaghetti with meat sauce), a perfect test, we thought, for a new restaurant. If they made an outstanding spaghetti sauce chances are the rest of the menu items would be great too.
We ordered a red "vino di casa", remembering a wine tasting adventure through the back roads of Italy years earlier. Our first, rather disappointing sip told us this vino di casa was not the light, fruity, vino di casa of the Italian countryside. Next, a freshly baked mini baguette loaf arrived accompanied by a generous saucer of extra virgin dipping oil liberally sprinkled with minced garlic and fresh, chopped herbs. I broke a piece of bread from the loaf, dipped it in the oil and - "Oh, my, gosh! Taste this incredible dipping oil!" My dinner expectations were back on track. I had to have the recipe.
The waitress was great. As busy as she was she graciously stopped long enough to quickly tell me - which I hurriedly scribbled on a cocktail napkin - the nine seasonings for the oil but had no time for measurements. This, I concluded, was not rocket science.
What follows is the recipe with my personal measurements for the herbs and garlic. Needless to say, vary them to suit your personal taste. The dipping oil will be outstanding. You can do no wrong.
ITALIAN DIPPING OIL
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon each dried or 1/2 teaspoon or more each fresh herbs and seasonings:
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Basil
- Oregano
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt
- Granular Garlic
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
I have a mortar and pestle in which I moosh everything together to release and blend the flavors. If you don't have one, chop, rub and crumble the ingredients and mix with the oil and minced garlic in a small bowl.
Enjoy,
Martha