Basil Oil

Photo: flickr user alex.lines

Ingredients

1 cup Basil, tightly packed fresh

Preparation

In a large pan of boiling, salted water, blanch the basil leaves for 5 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a food processor or blender, puree the blanched basil with 1/4 cup of the oil. With the machine on, add the remaining 1 3/4 cups oil and process until well blended and smooth. Transfer to a glass jar, cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours.

Carefully pour off the clear green oil, leaving behind the 6 tablespoons of thick puree. The strained oil can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 1 month.