A necessity in any proper Italian restaurant is something as simple as seasoned bread dipping oil on a dish sopped up with a nice soft bread. So you would be amazed how many places that either just put refined yellow olive oil on a plate with maybe a sprinkle of oregano or garlic if you’re lucky. Really though? It’s not that hard to make seasoned bread dipping oil. It is a wonderfully appetizing starter to a great meal.
I see a lot of overly seasoned olive oil as well. Some restaurants serve what amounts to a plate of herbs with just some oil with it. Too many herbs in the oil turns my bread into focaccia and oregano covers my teeth. Not good eats. The oil needs to be free from debris and just oil with amazing flavor. So the oil must strained prior to serving. A tea strainer makes this very easy to do.
So the process is easy. Get yourself some nice, robust extra virgin olive oil. You know it when you see it and taste it. The oil is green and peppery with a little sting to it. You want that. Many people consume mediocre olive oil, and because of this, people think extra virgin olive oil is supposed to taste oily and smooth. Not so! Treat yourself to a proper bold and robust olive oil. You’ll thank yourself for it!
Once you have your proper extra virgin olive oil, add the seasoning. Make sure to roast the garlic. Fresh garlic will not provide the right flavor. Let it sit at least 24 hours but longer is better. After 48 hours it is amazing! Keep the oil in the fridge for up to 7 days. If you make it in small quantities for a week of use, you will always have ready-made oil. People say you can freeze it, but don’t; you’ll kill the oil.
