Addictively delicious: you’ll want to make this garlic dip right away

A good snack to serve with drinks doesn’t have to be complicated: make this fragrant garlic oil dip for your guests and you’ll be done in no time — and they’ll surely be impressed that you whipped this up so effortlessly.

Because sometimes the simple things in life are the most delicious, right? Some good baguette, flavorful oil — all you need to do is serve some drinks alongside it and your perfect evening has begun!

Warm oil, fragrant spices

You probably know that warm oil is very good at releasing the flavors and aromas of other ingredients, and then absorbing them deliciously. Sautéing spices briefly in warm oil is always a good idea; for an Indian spice mixture such as chhonk, you can use clarified butter, but if you prefer to keep it plant-based, oil works perfectly well.

Don’t make the oil too hot

What is important, though, is not to heat the oil too much, as this will burn the flavorings. Burnt spices taste bitter, and that’s not what we’re looking for.

It clears out your spice drawer nicely

The great thing is that you can use various herbs and spices for this, depending on what you have in stock, and we recommend making it often so you can work your way through your spice drawer at a suitably steady pace. Don’t keep spices and dried herbs for too long; some people still have the same jar of bay leaves after five years — by then, their flavor and aroma have long since disappeared. So just make this spicy oil dip regularly, based on a recipe from food platform The Kitchn. And that’s no punishment, because it’s cheap, easy, and delicious!

How to make a herby, fragrant olive oil dip

• Crush or grind 1 tsp dried spice seeds.
• Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from 1 lemon (try to take as little of the white pith as possible).
• Crush and peel 4 garlic cloves. Use 2 large bay leaves or a few sprigs of rosemary, oregano, or thyme.
• Take 2 small dried (whole) chili peppers, or 1/2 tsp chili flakes, or half a fresh jalapeño, or 1 tsp crushed Szechuan pepper ‘corns’.
• Put all these flavorings in a small frying pan or saucepan.
• Add 240 ml extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 tsp coarse salt (we love Maldon).
• Place over low heat and warm (very gently) for 5–10 minutes.
• Do not let it come to a boil; as soon as the oil begins to bubble, you can actually turn off the heat.
• Now let it cool for at least two hours so the flavors can infuse further: the longer, the stronger the flavors.
• Strain the oil if you like, but leaving everything in looks nice too. Just don’t eat the flavorings.
• Serve at room temperature with bread and wait to see who ends up wiping the bowl clean with a piece of bread.

Source: The Kitchn

Also read:

• Expert explains: how to recognize good olive oil
• Old-school garlic bread
• How long can you store garlic?