Pungent, piquant and peppery, cloves tie aromatics together in multifaceted dishes. You rarely find cloves as the main flavoring ingredient in a dish; they work best in supporting roles, such as infusions for finishing oils. Clove oil is used to anoint a dish with a suspicion of clove in the finish -- not enough to alter the flavor profile but just enough to make you think, "This has a little something special," and wonder what it is. Clove oil is easy to make, and a little goes a long way.
Step 1
Toast about half a tablespoon of cloves in a saute pan over medium heat for every cup of oil you want to infuse. Toasting the cloves mobilizes their volatile oils and makes them easier to extract.
Step 2
Wash the bottle and cap you'll use for the clove oil, along with a mortar, pestle and funnel. Fill the bottle with water and place it in a pot along with the mortar, pestle and funnel.
Step 3
Cover the items in the pot with a few inches of water and boil for 10 minutes. Take the items from the water and invert them on a paper towel.
Step 4
Rinse the cloves in a colander under cool water and spread them out on paper towels to dry. Dry the mortar with a paper towel, if you need to, and pour the cloves in it while it's still warm from boiling.
Step 5
Lightly tap the cloves with the pestle to crack them. Pour the cracked cloves in the container, followed by high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Use the funnel if you need to.
Step 6
Tighten the lid or stopper on the bottle and store it in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. Shake the bottle every couple of days.
Step 7
Infuse the oil with the cloves for two weeks, then taste it. If you want a stronger flavor, let the cloves steep for a few more weeks. If the flavor is where you want it, strain the oil through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and into an airtight sterilized serving bottle or container.
Step 8
Store the clove oil in the refrigerator and use within 1 month.
