How to Avoid the Potential Dangers of Herbed Oils

Herbed oils can be wonderfully tasty additions to salads, marinades and stir fries, and as a dip for crusty breads. They are great to cook with, and make a wonderful gift. This is an excellent way to preserve flavor, aroma and the health benefits of your fresh herbs.

Prepare an herbed oil by combining two cups of a culinary oil with a half cup of finely chopped and cleaned fresh herbs or a quarter cup of your home-dried herbs. Thoroughly dry all washed herbs before adding them to the oil. Appropriate oils would include olive oil, safflower, sunflower, peanut, grapeseed, or peanut oil. Use your imagination and taste in selecting the herbs; but try garlic, basil, tarragon, rosemary, thyme, and salad burnet.

Some recipes call for just steeping the oil/herb mixture at room temperature, until the flavor and aroma are to your liking. Make sure you have used a sterilized container and lid, and that the herbs are completely immersed in the oil. After a week, strain out the herbs completely, and bottle the flavored oil, again using sterile conditions and containers.

Other recipes call for heating or sauteing clean fresh herbs in the oil for a few minutes at a low temperature. When the desired flavor is achieved, the herbs are filtered out using several layers of cheesecloth, and the oil is stored in sterilized bottles and sealed. The trick with either method is to make sure there is no moisture or bits of herbs left in the oil before you bottle it.

Because there are potential dangers of storing herbs in oil, never place sprigs of herbs in the finished bottle. Although this may look attractive, you are encouraging bacterial growth. Even if the oil is stored in the refrigerator, slow bacterial contamination can happen.

Two problems can occur with any herbal oil that has been infused. One is the growth of C.botulinium, a potentially dangerous problem; the other is rancidity. These two problems are not necessarily related. Botulism toxin can be present without any off-odor, while rancid oils will have a definite off-odor. Botulism will grow in a low acid environment, and in anaerobic conditions, both of which are met with oils.

Rancidity happens when oils are exposed, over time, to air, sunlight and heat. Rancidity will not make you sick, but could be unhealthy over time, since rancid fat contains certain chemicals that can damage cells and encourage cholesterol. Always discard any oils that have a noticeable off odor.

There are certain precautions you can take when making these flavorful oils for home use. By using dried herbs in making herbal oils, you are less likely to encourage botulism because of their low water content. Always store your herbal oils in the refrigerator, and you will greatly reduce the likelihood that these two problems will occur. The FDA recommends that you make any garlic-infused oils fresh, do not allow them to remain at room temperature, and discard them after only ten days. Use all other prepared and refrigerated herbal oils within three weeks, and after that, discard them.

Crispy BBQ Chicken Wings

Think in terms of two pieces per person and certainly nor more than three. You don't want your guests stuffed ebfore the main course. So allow one chicken wing a head. Depending on size, of course, 1 kilo of chicken wings is about 8 pieces.

Ingredients

* 1 kilo wings, each cut at the joints into three pieces
* 2tbs dark soy sauce
* thumb siced piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
* 1 cup SR flour
* 1 tbs oil
* 6 shallots, very finely chopped
* 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice
* 1 cup ice cold water or soda water
* salt and pepper
* deep fat fryer or wok with oil.

Put the chicken in a pan and cover with water. Add soy sauce and ginger. Bring to the boil and simmer until the wings are cooked. This should take about 20 minutes, depending on the size. Give them longer if they need it. You want the meat thoroughly cooked but not falling off the bone.

Drain the wings and allow them to cool a little so you can handle them. Sift the flour into a bowl, add the oil and whisk in the water to form a smooth batter. Stir in the five spice and shallots. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring the fat fryer to high heat and then turn it back a little so that the fat is hot but not smoking. Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and cook over a medium to low heat until the batters is crispy and golden.

Tips:

• You must take care to always wash your hands, knife, and cutting board in hot soapy water after preparing raw poultry.

• You should never use the same utensils and cutting board for other ingredients without thoroughly washing them first and after use. This prevents cross contamination.

• You should always marinate poultry in the refrigerator. Never leave it out in the open.

• Do not use the poultry marinade for basting.

• If the marinade is to be used for the basis of a sauce, bring it to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

Smoky BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

1 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 small shallots, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
¾ cup olive oil
Two-3 ½ lbs chickens

Marinate the chicken : In a bowl, blend together the vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Put the chickens in a 2 gallon resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Seal and turn to thoroughly coat the chickens. Refrigerate overnight, turning a few times.

Mop

½ cup dry white wine, ½ cup apple juice Combine the wine and apple juice in a spray bottle or small bowl.

Drain the chickens. Set them on a large rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle all over with the rub, inside and out.

Set the chicken breast side up on the grill grate over the drip pan, with their cavities facing the coals. Cover and cook for 2 hours, spraying the chickens with the mop every hour. Check the thermometer to maintain a temperature of 250° to 275° F.

After 2 hours, turn the chickens 90° F, still breast side up, so their sides are facing the heat. Be careful When turning the chickens to keep the juices inside the cavities. Spray the chickens with the mop. Cover and cook for 1 hour, then turn the chickens so that their opposite sides are facing the heat. Spray again, then cover and cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours longer, until a thermometer inserted in the inner thigh reads 170° F.

Transfer the chickens to a rimmed baking sheet.

Pour the cavity juices into a serving bowl. Let the chickens rest for 10 minutes. Cut off the whole legs and transfer them to a platter. Slice the breast meat off the bone and transfer to the platter. Add any accumulated juices to the serving bowl.

Serve the chicken with the juices and your favorite BBQ sauce.

Zesty Orange BBQ Chicken

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs chicken parts

BBQ Sauce:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 orange zest, removed with grater, orange
slices reserved for salad

Salad:

1 large, ripe tomato
1 orange, sectioned (without rind, see above)
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/8 Teaspoon salt
1/8 Teaspoon pepper

Prepare grill; heat coals.

In medium bowl, mix together all barbecue ingredients until smooth. Place chicken on grill away from center heat, skin?side?down; cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken and grill for 10 additional minutes. Brush chicken pieces with sauce and turn occasionally; cooking for additional 10 minutes.

Cut tomato into wedges and place in medium bowl. Use sharp paring knife to cut out white pith off orange. Remove orange sections and add them to tomato. Sprinkle with oil, vinegar and scallions; toss. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Serve chicken with salad on the side.

Tips:

It is especially important that the poultry be properly thawed before cooking. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator while it is in the original wrapper.
You can place it on a tray to catch any drips that may fall as it thaws.

When thawing in the refrigerator is not possible because there is not enough time, there are two other alternatives. For rapid thawing, you can put the bird in watertight wrapping and then submerge in cold water. You should change the water frequently as this will help quicken the process. Smaller birds require about one to two hours.

The other alternative is to leave the bird in its wrapper and put it into a
heavy paper grocery bag. Close up the bag and put it into a cool room. You
will need to check it frequently, and once the bird is thawed, you must cook
it immediately.